BRINGING SMES ONTO
THE E-COMMERCE HIGHWAY
TRADE IMPACT
FOR GOOD
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BRINGING SMES ONTO
THE E-COMMERCE HIGHWAY
BRINGING SMEs ONTO THE E-COMMERCE HIGHWAY
Abstract for trade information services
ID=43195
2016
F-06.06 BRI
International Trade Centre (ITC)
Bringing SMEs onto the e-Commerce Highway
Geneva: ITC, 2016. xiii, 101 pages
Doc. No. OCE-16-13.E
This publication studies e-commerce-related policies that affect SMEs’ engagement in cross-border
e-commerce. It identifies the bottlenecks and requirements of e-commerce participation and presents
examples of best practices in regulating cross-border e-commerce. The paper addresses
competitiveness issues in each segment of the cross-border e-commerce process chain, including
establishing business online, international e-payment, cross-border delivery and aftersales services. It
provides a checklist of the essential ingredients for SME success in cross-border e-commerce, by
examining enabling factors at the firm level, immediate business environment level and national policy
level. The paper also reviews global cross-border e-commerce and offers a deeper analysis of selected
economies. The paper serves as a starting point for a public private dialogue on e-commerce,
especially for SMEs in developing countries.
Descriptors: Electronic Commerce, Cross-border Trade, SMEs, Competitiveness, Public Private
Dialogue
For further information on this technical paper, contact Ms. Marion Jansen ([email protected])
Citation: International Trade Centre (2016). Bringing SMEs onto the e-Commerce Highway. ITC, Geneva.
English
The International Trade Centre (ITC) is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United
Nations.
ITC, Palais des Nations, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland (www.intracen.org)
Digital image(s) on the cover: © Shutterstock
© International Trade Centre 2016
ITC encourages the reprinting and translation of its publications to achieve wider dissemination. Short
extracts of this technical paper may be freely reproduced, with due acknowledgement of the source.
Permission should be requested for more extensive reproduction or translation. A copy of the reprinted or
translated material should be sent to ITC.
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Foreword
Transformations in the landscape of trade and technology have fundamentally altered the way we
purchase and consume goods and services. As the costs of international communication and
transportation decrease, and the demand for immediacy increases, suppliers are increasingly turning to
e-commerce and e-platforms as the preferred method for reaching clients. Online shoppers are
experiencing a revolution in their buying habits, often seeking options in other countries and regions.
These changes can offer significant opportunities for businesses in both developed and developing
countries to expand their outreach into global markets.
By any measure, e-commerce is big business. For example, by 2018 Africa's e-commerce market is
projected to soar to US$ 50 billion, up from US$ 8 billion in 2013. E-commerce represents a sea change in
the way that trade is conducted, and offers great potential to contribute to the United Nations Global Goals.
For many people, e-commerce is becoming business as usual. Online retail is estimated by the Centre for
Retail Research to account for 13% of consumer spending in the United States and around 10% in Europe,
and much more in some countries such as the United Kingdom and Germany. And yet, many developing
countries are still not taking full advantage of this opportunity. Best estimates put the current share of
African enterprises in e-commerce, for instance, at below 2%, a share that could be much higher.
Cross-border e-commerce has opened up a new, more efficient way to connect producers and merchants
directly to customers around the world, bridging the gap between demand and supply. It opens new
opportunities by providing new markets, products and services but also by reducing the role of
intermediaries, which can result in substantial purchasing discounts.
Cross-border e-commerce also provides a unique opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) in countries and regions that may traditionally have found it difficult to reach regional and
international markets – such as landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) – and connect with potential
buyers beyond their borders.
This report provides practical guidance on how to ensure that the opportunities posed by e-commerce are
accessible to SMEs, especially those in developing countries.
In practice, a number of barriers effectively preclude the involvement of a majority of SMEs. Key among
them is the level of shipping costs, which can be especially high for small volumes of traffic from remote
SMEs. Another barrier is the availability and cost of international payment solutions: In many least
developed countries, for example, firms cannot open such facilities, or must rely on expensive cash
transfers that are increasingly shunned by international customers.
Business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce opens the possibility for producers to capture higher margins,
again by disintermediation in the international distribution of goods. However, this form of trade also
requires the use of postal or express delivery services that ship directly to the consumer. Failure to take
taxes and duties into account can generate a high proportion of rejected shipments and have a negative
impact on an SME’s profitability and reputation.
The high-frequency, low-value nature of B2C cross-border e-commerce presents new challenges for
regulators, particularly customs authorities, in handling the growing number of items traded across borders.
Some countries have piloted innovative trade facilitation and regulatory practices, such as simplified
customs duties and clearance procedures for low-value items, which further reduce cross-border
e-commerce costs.
This publication examines regulatory issues and key determinants for competitiveness related to crossborder e-commerce from the perspective of a small e-business. Potential bottlenecks are identified and
examples of best practices are provided. Each segment of the cross-border e-commerce process chain,
including establishing business online, international e-payment, cross-border delivery and aftersales
services, is considered in detail.
A checklist of the essential ingredients for the success of cross-border e-commerce is presented, analysing
factors affecting competitiveness of e-commerce businesses at the firm level, in the immediate business
environment and at the national policy level. The publication also features the opinions of entrepreneurs
active in developing countries, offering a vivid picture of concrete issues encountered by SMEs in crossborder e-commerce.
OCE-16-13.E
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At ITC our vision is one where small firms in developing and least developed countries have access to
advanced solutions. We actively support SMEs in acquiring the necessary skills and capabilities to
trade through e-commerce channels. Our e-Solutions Programme provides a platform of shared
technologies and services, including access to international payment solutions and logistics, enabling small
firms to share the costs of exporting goods, handle foreign payments and generate awareness in foreign
markets.
Rapid cross-border e-commerce growth will have an impact on traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, whose
business opportunities might shrink as consumers turn to virtual marketplaces. Nevertheless, the growth
of cross-border e-commerce, driven by reduced transaction costs and rapidly evolving consumer
preferences, may provide new employment opportunities and demand new skill sets. ITC, with its mandate
of helping to build the competitiveness of SMEs, will continue to facilitate adaptation to this new paradigm
for trade.
It is our hope that this publication will provide policymakers, trade and investment support institutions and
SMEs with a better understanding of the policy aspects of cross-border e-commerce and make them better
equipped to capitalize on the opportunities offered by the growing global online market.
Arancha González
Executive Director
International Trade Centre
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Acknowledgements
This paper was prepared by Justine Lan, Irene Carbone, Marta Soprana and Anirudh Singhal, ITC
international consultants, and Quan Zhao, ITC Trade in Services Officer, under the supervision of Marion
Jansen, ITC Chief Economist. Thanks are also due to Mohamad Fakhreddin, ITC international consultant
for his review and editorial assistance.
Further thanks go to a wider group of colleagues at ITC, notably Anders Aeroe, Director, Division of Market
Development; Mohamed Es Fih, eSolutions for Business Adviser; and James Howe, Senior Adviser,
International Marketing and Branding, for their feedback and comments.
ITC would like to recognize the work done by all the contributors: Ahmad Niaz Murshed (Ice9Interactive),
Ann Gakere (Sawasawa), Rose Maghas (GreenBell Communications), Shohorab Ahmed Chowdhury
(TenderBazar.com).
ITC would also like to thank Natalie Domeisen and Evelyn Seltier of ITC, who oversaw editing, production
and quality control; Erica Meltzer, who edited the paper; and Serge Adeagbo and Franco Iacovino of ITC,
who provided graphic and printing support.
Production of this publication received support from the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of
China.
OCE-16-13.E
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Contents
Foreword
iii
Acknowledgements
v
Abbreviations
x
Executive Summary
xi
Introduction
1
Chapter 1
Establishing online business
6
1.
Building blocks for establishing successful online business
6
2.
Main channels for setting up an e-commerce business
9
2.1.
E-commerce platforms
9
2.2.
Social media e-commerce
11
2.3.
Company’s own website
13
3.
Enabling policies for establishing e-commerce businesses
14
3.1.
Seller registration on online e-commerce platforms
14
3.2.
IP-related issues in e-commerce
15
3.3.
Solid ICT infrastructure and affordable access to the Internet
16
3.4.
Access to skilled labour market
18
3.5.
Simple business registration process with the local authorities
18
3.6.
Successful implementation of e-signatures and e-contract laws
19
3.7.
National strategies for e-commerce growth
19
Chapter 2
International e-payment
23
1.
E-payment markets in e-commerce development
23
2.
Challenges to adopting e-commerce
25
3.
Policy recommendations
27
Chapter 3
1.
2.
vi
Cross-border delivery
29
Delivering goods across borders
30
1.1.
Products fit for cross-border e-commerce
30
1.2.
Shipping, clearing customs and delivery: a multistep process
30
1.3.
Bottlenecks in cross-border delivery process
32
1.4.
Facilitating cross-border e-commerce delivery
34
1.5.
Best practice: expedited customs, higher de minimis threshold
38
Delivering services across borders
42
2.1.
42
Differences between goods and services trade
OCE-16-13.E
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2.2.
Connectivity infrastructure and data flow
43
2.3.
Cross-border opportunities for e-commerce services
44
Chapter 4
Aftersales
46
1.
Using aftersales tools for consumer retention
47
2.
Challenges to aftersales service
48
3.
Strategies and policy recommendations for improving aftersales service
50
Chapter 5
Emerging international cooperation
53
1.
Analysing e-commerce trends
53
2.
Negotiating and implementing international rules on e-commerce
54
3.
Capacity-building for global e-commerce
56
Chapter 6
Conclusions
57
Appendix I: Country profiles
59
Global overview of cross-border e-commerce
59
1.
Connectivity to the World Wide Web and e-commerce
60
2.
Measuring e-commerce
62
3.
The largest e-commerce economies
64
Brazil
66
1.
Statistics on cross-border e-commerce
66
2.
Main features of the market
66
3.
Regulatory environment
67
China
68
1.
Statistics on cross-border e-commerce
68
2.
Main features of the market
69
3.
Regulatory environment
70
India
72
1.
Statistics on cross-border e-commerce
72
2.
Main features of the market
72
3.
Regulatory environment
73
4.
Challenges to cross-border e-commerce
74
Indonesia
75
1.
Statistics on cross-border e-commerce
75
2.
Main features of the market
75
3.
Overview of regulatory environment
75
4.
Challenges to cross-border e-commerce
76
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Russian Federation
77
1.
Statistics on cross-border e-commerce
77
2.
Main features of the market
77
3.
Regulatory environment
78
4.
Challenges to cross-border e–commerce
78
South Africa
79
1.
Statistics on cross-border e-commerce
79
2.
Main features of the market
79
3.
Overview of regulatory environment
80
4.
Challenges to cross-border e-commerce
81
Turkey
82
1.
Statistics on cross-border e-commerce
82
2.
Main features of the market
82
3.
Overview of regulatory environment
83
4.
Challenges to cross-border e-commerce
83
United Arab Emirates
84
1.
Statistics on cross-border e-commerce
84
2.
Main features of the market
84
3.
Overview of regulatory environment
84
4.
Challenges to cross-border e-commerce
85
Appendix II: Taxes and duties for cross-border e-commerce
86
Bibliography
90
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Tables, Figures, Boxes and Case Stories
Table 1.
Table 2.
Table 3.
Table 4.
Table 5.
Table 6.
Table 7.
Table 8.
Table 9.
Table 10.
Scope of this publication
SME competitiveness grid
Major e-commerce platforms
Major social media platforms and their e-commerce functions
Countries accepted for seller registration on Amazon Marketplace
Distribution of e-transactions value by payment method and region (%, 2012)
List of expedited customs procedures by country
Countries with the largest retail e-commerce sales worldwide in 2015
Internet usage in China
Internet usage in India
2
3
10
12
14
24
39
64
68
72
Figure 1.
Figure 2.
Figure 3.
Figure 4.
Figure 5.
Figure 6.
Figure 7.
Figure 8.
Figure 9.
Figure 10.
Figure 11.
Figure 12.
Figure 13.
Figure 14.
Figure 15.
E-commerce process chain
Broadband rates as a percentage of gross national income
Phases to develop a national strategy to promote e-commerce growth
Global payments revenue in 2014
Global connectivity and the increase in global e-commerce sales
Mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions
Increase in social network users worldwide
Domestic vs. cross-border e-commerce marketplaces in 2017
Internet access in Brazil by share of population
Retail e-commerce in Brazil (year-on-year growth rates)
Top online shopping destinations
Major e-commerce sites
Retail e-commerce sales in the Russian Federation, 2014–2019
Number of visitors by platform in South Africa
Projected growth of e-commerce in Turkey by sector
4
17
21
25
59
61
62
63
66
67
69
73
77
80
83
Box 1.
Box 2.
Box 3.
Box 4.
Box 5.
Box 6.
Box 7.
SME competitiveness in cross-border e-commerce: the fundamentals
The ASEAN ICT Masterplan 2015
Tax policies
Addressing infrastructural deficiencies at firm level
Fulfilment by Amazon
GATS modes of supply
Consumer protection approaches
5
22
33
35
36
43
50
Case Stories
1.
2.
3.
4.
OCE-16-13.E
Sharing procurement information online in Bangladesh,
by Shohorab Ahmed Chowdhury, TenderBazar.com
Protect intellectual property across borders for Kenyan software developers,
by Ann Gakere, Sawasawa.com
Implement cross-border recognition of e-documents in Africa,
by Rose Maghas, GreenBell Communications
Eliminate regulatory bottlenecks to cross-border e-payments in Bangladesh,
by Ahmad Niaz Murshed, Ice9Interactive
7
15
20
25
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BRINGING SMEs ONTO THE E-COMMERCE HIGHWAY
Abbreviations
APEC
ASEAN
B2B
B2C
BASIS
C2C
CBP
EU
FDI
FOB
G20
GATS
GATT
GDP
GNI
GST
ICANN
ICT
IMF
IP
IPR
IT
ITC
ITU
LDC
Mbps
MFN
MLES
MPF
OECD
PKI
RAQUEL
RTA
SDR
SME
Tbps
UNCTAD
UNCITRAL
UPU
USITC
VAT
WCO
WIPO
WTO
x
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Association of Southeast Asian Nations
Business-to-business
Business-to-consumer
Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services
Consumer-to-consumer
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
European Union
Foreign direct investment
Free on board
Group of Twenty
General Agreement on Trade in Services
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
Gross domestic product
Gross national income
Goods and services tax
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
Information and Communications Technology
International Monetary Fund
Intellectual property
Intellectual property right
Information technology
International Trade Centre
International Telecommunication Union
Least developed country
Megabits per second
Most favoured nation
Model Law on E-Signatures
Merchandise processing fee
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Public Key Infrastructure
Registered Article Quality Enhancement Lead
Regional trade agreement
Special drawing right
Small and medium-sized enterprise
Terabytes per second
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law
Universal Postal Union
United States International Trade Commission
Value added tax
World Customs Organisation
World Intellectual Property Organization
World Trade Organization
OCE-16-13.E
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Executive Summary
E-commerce is transforming the global business landscape at an unprecedented speed, and successful ecommerce requires the ability to embrace change. Entrepreneurs working in e-commerce today –
particularly the cross-border variety – must master new business techniques along with time-tried precepts
of international trade.
The first e-commerce transaction on a commercial website was recorded only 21 years ago, and involved
a broken laser pointer sold in 1995 on AuctionWeb, the predecessor of eBay, for US$ 14.83. In 2013,
global business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce sales totalled US$ 1.2 trillion; by the end of 2016, they
will reach an estimated US$ 1.92 trillion. E-commerce has become business as usual for people in
developed countries: Online retail is estimated by the Centre for Retail Research to account for 13% of
consumer spending in the United States and around 10% in Europe, and much more in such countries as
the United Kingdom and Germany.
This publication focuses on cross-border e-commerce, defined as the cross-border sale or purchase of
goods or services conducted over computer networks. In the current economic era, where information
technology is a significant driver of growth, participating in cross-border e-commerce is likely to be a major
factor of a company’s success and even a prerequisite for survival, especially for small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs).
Expanding SME outreach
E-commerce has the potential to help SMEs scale up and expand their outreach in a number of ways:
•
Building an international reputation
Online transactions create a verifiable track record of a company’s performance and
trustworthiness. Consumers rely on such records to find the companies that are most likely to
provide satisfactory service. Businesses rely on them to find reliable partners, and financial
institutions rely on them to identify solid companies whose growth they can confidently support. A
sound record of online transactions is one of the most valuable assets a company can accumulate.
•
Expanding outreach
Cross border e-commerce helps SMEs expand their outreach, as it reduces the investment
required for a company to become visible in the global market. Online platforms all function to
bring consumers to a single virtual marketplace. These platforms have a network effect: once the
number of users has surpassed a certain threshold, the marginal cost of attracting newcomers to a
website is minimal. This is a benefit that SMEs operating on the platforms can share.
•
Reducing market research costs
The big data generated from transaction records can help SMEs reach out to a targeted group of
potential buyers. One widely used technology by many e-commerce websites involves analyses
users’ browsing history to assess what type of product consumers are looking for and then
automatically suggests similar products.
•
Disintermidiation in international trade
A significantly larger proportion of international value can be captured by disintermediation of those
responsible for import and export activities, as SMEs can ship goods directly to the end user via ecommerce.
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•
Leveraging e-commerce ecosystems
Online platforms are building ecosystems which help SMEs to access, often at a discounted price,
the essential services needed for company growth. Among them are financing options, shipping,
delivery and logistics solutions, promotion packages, legal and financial advisory services, market
information and analysis, and B2B matchmaking services.
But e-commerce has challenges as well as potential. Old methods of doing business may no longer be
available, and new mechanisms for trade may be required.
Creating trust is crucial, particularly when the old methods lose their relevance. When buyers cannot see
the goods or interact directly with the sellers and new types of trading relationships must be created, ecommerce is especially challenging. Technologies – such as online customer testimonials, digital
signatures and security certificates – can go only so far in building trust.
Developing countries are not yet taking full advantage of e-commerce opportunities. Best estimates put the
current share of African enterprises in cross-border e-commerce at below 2%. This proportion could be
much higher, and is as low as it is because small businesses on the continent often simply lack access to
e-commerce platforms and international payment solutions.
The eight country profiles in this paper show that e-platforms are still far from global. The main online
platforms accessed by users in major emerging economies tend to be national platforms, i.e. platforms run
by companies headquartered domestically. Exceptions to this are the Russian Federation, where Chinese
platforms are heavily used, and possibly India, where United States platforms are prominent, even if the
market leader is actually headquartered in India.
Challenges and bottlenecks
This publication examines challenges and bottlenecks to e-commerce. It looks at e-commerce through a
conceptualized chain of processes that are typical of all cross-border e-commerce transactions, regardless
of whether they involve goods or services. From the lens of businesses, SMEs often face policy challenges
in four key areas: establishing online business, international e-payment, international delivery and
aftersales.
E-commerce process chain
Establishing
online
business
International
e-payment
Cross-border
delivery
Aftersales
The paper provides checklists of essential ingredients that should be available to ensure the
competitiveness of SMEs engaged in cross-border e-commerce:
9
at the firm level;
9
within the immediate business environment;
9
at the national level.
Checklists for success
An analysis of the process chain of e-commerce reveals that at the firm level, success in cross-border ecommerce starts with an ability to understand and use appropriate technologies to establish an online
presence and to conduct international e-payments. Success requires appropriate capabilities in logistics,
xii
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such as handling multiple small orders. It also calls for the ability to deal directly with customers abroad in
providing pre- and aftersales services, rather than going through a foreign distributor.
For e-commerce to flourish, the immediate business environment needs to guarantee access to networks
and platforms that are relevant for the different stages of the e-commerce process chain. To establish an
e-commerce business, access to affordable Internet and e-commerce platforms matters. To conduct
international e-payments, firms need access to third-party e-payment service providers, linked to domestic
banks.
New consumer protection laws needed
At the national level, legislation must be supportive for e-commerce to grow. E-signature and e-contract
laws are needed to facilitate the establishment of online business. International e-payments require
regulations on the free cross-border flow of foreign exchange and, ideally, on the prevention of online fraud
and cybercrime. Cross-border delivery depends critically on countries’ transport infrastructure and customs
clearance practices. Last but not least, e-commerce may demand new rules for consumer protection.
New rules and regulations at the national level require international solutions when e-commerce crosses
borders. The need for such international solutions was recognized in the early days of e-commerce by
such institutions as the World Trade Organization (WTO). Global solutions to critical challenges – including
cross-border e-signature recognition, international e-payments and international consumer and data
protection – still need to be found.
While e-commerce can enhance the inclusion of developing-country SMEs in global markets, it also risks
engendering the opposite outcome. The digital gap between the rich world and the poor world is well
documented and far from being addressed. On top of this, SMEs are less e-connected than large firms,
1
and the firm-level digital gap is wider in the developing than in the developed world. Closing both of these
gaps is critical, if e-commerce is to work in favour of developing-country SMEs.
A starting point for public-private dialogue
This publication provides an overview of the challenges ahead. The checklists it offers for meeting those
challenges are intended to provide a useful starting point for dialogue between public- and private-sector
players on how best to address those challenges. Including SMEs in this dialogue will be essential if ecommerce is to exploit its full potential and become truly inclusive.
1
ITC (2015). SME Competitiveness Outlook 2015.
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Introduction
E-commerce is transforming the global business landscape at an unprecedented speed. The first ecommerce transaction on a commercial website was recorded only 21 years ago, in 1995, and involved the
2
sale of a broken laser pointer on AuctionWeb, the predecessor of eBay, for US$ 14.83. In 2013, global
3
business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce sales were valued at US$ 1.2 trillion and are estimated to reach
4
US$ 1.92 trillion by the end of 2016. Billions of transactions are completed each day on the Internet, and ecommerce is redefining business competitiveness, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs).
What is e-commerce?
Despite the seeming ubiquity of e-commerce, the word “e-commerce” itself is often understood only vaguely.
For some people, e-commerce is equivalent to “buying stuff online”, while for others, it encompasses a much
wider range of activities, including online purchases of physical products (e.g. T-shirts and books), digital
products (e.g. music, video, apps and games) and services (e.g. travel and entertainment tickets, insurance,
consultancies). It can also include activities in which there is no visible transaction in traditional terms, such
as reading marketing copy and advertisements that roll out on-screen before a YouTube video can be
played.
Given the broadness of the subject, it comes as no surprise that a common definition has yet to be accepted.
International organizations, governments and businesses put forward various definitions, all slightly similar
and all slightly different.
This report uses the widely used definition of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD), which describes e-commerce as covering the sale and purchase of both goods and services over
computer networks. OECD defines e-commerce as:
“the sale or purchase of goods or services, conducted over computer networks by methods
designed for the purpose of receiving or placing of orders. The goods or services are
ordered by those methods, but the payment and the ultimate delivery of the goods or
services do not have to be conducted online. An e-commerce transaction can be between
enterprises, households, individuals, governments, and other public or private
organizations. To be included are orders made over the web, extranet or electronic data
interchange. The type is defined by the method of placing the order. To be excluded are
5
orders made by telephone calls, facsimile or manually typed e-mail.”
Domestic vs. cross-border e-commerce
As the cost of international trade is reduced, consumers look beyond national borders for the best online
deals. Cross-border e-commerce involves goods and services delivered across borders from a supplier in
one country to a consumer in another country. According to a recent survey of 24 countries published in the
6
Nielsen Global Connected Commerce Report, more than half the respondents (57%) say they purchased
from an online retailer outside their country’s border in the past six months.
In the area of services trade, cross-border e-commerce also brings new opportunities for SMEs. Online
software and app markets such as App Store and Google Play help deliver digital products from SME
developers to billions of smart devices. Freelancers can offer their design, programming, consulting and
marketing services to clients around the world, knowing that their payment will be secured. Additionally,
crowdsourcing activities, from freelance services to funding, are being carried out online.
2
Waxman, O. B. (2015, September 2). This is the first item ever sold on eBay.
3
UNCTAD (2015). Information Economy Report 2015: Unlocking the potential of e-commerce for developing countries.
4
Statista (n.d.). B2C e-commerce sales worldwide from 2012 to 2018 (in billion U.S. dollars).
5
OECD (2013). Glossary of Statistical Terms.
6
Nielsen (2016). Global connected commerce : is e-tail therapy the new retail therapy?
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B2B vs. B2C e-commerce
Cross-border e-commerce comes in different forms and shapes, involving different types of players, deals
and procedures. Transactions may involve enterprises (B2B), a business and a consumer (B2C), or two
individual consumers (C2C).
B2B transactions account for the largest share of global cross-border e-commerce in value, exceeding US$
15 trillion in 2013. Global cross-border B2C e-commerce has a much smaller share, at US$ 1.2 trillion in
2013. However, B2C trade is the fastest-growing section of international e-commerce and offers the greatest
opportunities for SMEs, which represent the majority of the suppliers in cross-border B2C e-commerce. B2B
and B2C cross-border e-commerce also differ in nature: B2B, in most instances, is still traditional
international trade between import and export businessess who are connected by the Internet. Cross-border
B2C e-commerce is potentially redefining international trade through its entirely new process chain that links
sellers directly with buyers.
The following table summarizes the scope of this publication and provides examples of the differences
between traditional commerce and e-commerce; domestic and cross-border e-commerce; and goods and
services e-commerce. As indicated in the area below, this paper focuses on cross-border e-commerce, for
both trade in goods and trade in services, with a focus on B2C trade.
Table 1.
Scope of this publication
Domestic
Goods
Traditional
commerce
Ecommerce
Services
International/Cross-border
Goods
Services
A consumer
buys a product
from a
domestic retail
store
A consumer receives
a service offline from
a domestic supplier,
e.g. a haircut in a
local salon
Bulk import and
export of goods by
international trading
companies
Four modes of supply defined by
7
GATS, not involving online
transactions, e.g. international
shipping, international tourists,
companies that have foreign
investments, supplying a service to
local customers, and temporary
movement of a service supplier to
another country to supply a service
A consumer
buys a product
from a
domestic
online store
A service is supplied
from a domestic
supplier via Internet,
e.g. e-banking
services provided by
domestic banks
A consumer orders a
product from an
online store and the
product is shipped
from the
producer/retailer in
another country
directly to the
consumer
Mainly mode 1 and 2 of GATS,
involving cross-border supply of
services, which could include:
- Digital products: music, video, apps
and games downloaded and paid for
online
- Services transactions completed
online between a consumer and a
supplier located in different countries
Benefits for SMEs
In an era where technology drives growth and progress and information is key, businesses that do not
participate in e-commerce are at risk of being shut out of a critical part of the marketplace. Adopting ecommerce may become a necessity to survive, especially for SMEs. E-commerce helps SMEs to scale up
and expand their outreach:
x
Building an international reputation
Online transactions create a verifiable track record of a company’s performance and trustworthiness.
Consumers rely on such records to find the companies that are most likely to provide satisfactory
service. Businesses rely on them to find reliable partners, and financial institutions rely on them to
7
WTO Document (2013). The General Agreement on Trade in Services – An Introduction.
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identify solid companies whose growth they can confidently support. A sound record of online
transactions is one of the most valuable assets a company can accumulate.
x
Expanding outreach
Cross border e-commerce helps SMEs expand their outreach, as it lowers the threshold required for a
company to become visible in the global market. Online platforms all function to bring consumers to a
single virtual marketplace. These platforms have a network effect: once the number of users has
surpassed a certain threshold, the marginal cost of attracting newcomers to a website is minimal. This
is a benefit that SMEs operating on the platforms can share.
x
Reducing market research costs
The big data generated from transaction records can help SMEs reach out to a targeted group of
potential buyers. One widely used technology by many e-commerce websites involves analyses users’
browsing history to assess what type of product consumers are looking for and then automatically
suggests similar products.
x
Disintermediation in international trade
A significantly larger proportion of international value can be captured by disintermediation of those
responsible for import and export activities. SMEs can ship goods directly to the end user.
x
Leveraging e-commerce ecosystems
Online platforms are building ecosystems which help SMEs to access, often at a discounted price, the
essential services needed for company growth. Among them are financing options, shipping, delivery
and logistics solutions, promotion packages, legal and financial advisory services, market information
and analysis, and B2B matchmaking services.
Key determinants of SME competitiveness in cross-border e-commerce
For analysing SME competiveness, the publication applies the methodology developed in the ITC flagship
publication, SME Competitiveness Outlook 2015. The SME competiveness grid below provides a framework
to assess SME weaknesses at the firm level, within the immediate business environment and at the national
level, in terms of three pillars: the capacity to compete, to connect and to change.
Table 2.
SME competitiveness grid
Capacity to
compete
Capacity to
connect
Capacity to
change
Firm-level capabilities
Immediate business
environment
National environment
Source: ITC (2015). SME Competitiveness Outlook 2015: Connect, Compete and Change for Inclusive Growth.
“Capacity to compete” refers in this context to the static dimension of competitiveness and centres on the
efficiency of firms’ operations in terms of cost, time, quality and quantity. “Capacity to change” reflects the
capacity of a firm to execute change in response to, or in anticipation of, dynamic market forces and to
innovate through investments in human and financial capital. “Capacity to connect” refers to the gathering
and exploitation of information and knowledge, notably regarding consumer profiles and competitor profiles.
In today’s fast-moving markets, the capacity to connect and the capacity to change are both crucial.
There is overlap in SME competitiveness determinants when comparing traditional trade and e-commerce. In
both cases, companies need to have an offering that meets consumer demand (capacity to compete), need
to be able to connect to market information (capacity to connect) and need to adjust to change (capacity to
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change). Differences do, however, exist. In the case of e-commerce, connectivity and speed of change
appear to be more critical. There are also differences in what drives competitiveness within individual pillars.
For e-commerce, for instance, product size matters, as it affects whether delivery will be undertaken via
postal or express courier. A country’s Internet infrastructure is also particularly important for e-commerce.
Box 1 below presents a range of fundamental determinants of SME competitiveness for e-commerce, with a
focus on what makes e-commerce different from “ordinary trade”.
Competitiveness along the e-commerce process chain
The fundamental determinants described necessary for SME competitiveness in e-commerce may not be
sufficient. Cross-border e-commerce is conducted following a relatively standardized process chain, and
many detailed elements along this chain need to be in place in order for SMEs to succeed.
Chapters that follow are structured around a chain of processes that are typical to all cross-border ecommerce transactions from the SME perspective.
Figure 1. E-commerce process chain
Establishing
online
business
International
e-payment
Cross-border
delivery
Aftersales
Each of the following chapters focuses on one segment of the process chain and examines policy issues
related to the particular segment through analysis, case examples and best practices.
Each chapter begins with a checklist which summarizes the most important elements at the firm level, within
the immediate business environment or at the national level to ensure the SME competitiveness in crossborder e-commerce. Elements in the checklist are further discussed along with analysis and case examples.
Cross-border e-commerce is a form of international trade. As with ‘ordinary’ trade, questions arise as to how
to regulate cross-border e-commerce. Chapter 5 therefore provides an overview of the emerging landscape
of international cooperation on cross-border e-commerce in the areas of analysis, regulation and capacitybuilding. Chapter 6 concludes and is followed by a substantial Appendix that provides e-commerce country
profiles for major markets in the developing and emerging world.
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Box 1.
SME competitiveness in cross-border e-commerce: the fundamentals
Although technological progress and the widespread Internet use, together with tariff reduction and deregulation,
have helped create new opportunities for SMEs, cross-border trade through electronic means is not necessarily a
viable option for all SMEs. Firm-level capabilities, local and industry-related factors and the national environment
play a role in determining how competitive a company can be in supplying goods or services online across
borders.
SMEs can theoretically control:
x
Fitness of products and services (compete)
Companies supplying goods of a reasonable size that can be easily delivered via postal or express courier
and that guarantee a high profit margin have an advantage over firms that do not match these criteria in
adopting e-commerce to access foreign markets.
x
Access to technology (change)
E-commerce competitiveness in international markets requires SMEs to access the state-of-the-art
technology necessary to create an online presence and to offer electronic payment.
x
Knowledge and skills (compete, connect and change)
Being savvy about information and communications technologies (ICTs) is key to e-commerce
competitiveness in international markets. Familiarity with computers, Internet and related technologies is
essential for engaging in e-commerce, and technological skills are required to ensure technical security to
prevent fraud, information leaks, and all other forms of attack that can undermine foreign consumers’
confidence in the use of e-commerce solutions. Language skills are also often crucial to accessing foreign
markets.
Factors partially or entirely beyond their control:
x
Regulatory and business environment (compete)
Rules and regulations become a key asset to a company’s competitiveness in cross-border e-commerce
when they favour the use of e-commerce. They regulate such matters as technical communications and
interconnectivity standards, the legality and modality of digital signatures, certification and encryption, as well
as disclosure, privacy, online content and tax policies. They are also beneficial when they call for simple and
transparent trade-related procedures and allow for the development of adequate e-commerce standards.
x
Infrastructure (compete)
SMEs that want to be competitive in cross-border e-commerce need access to cost-efficient infrastructure.
This consists primarily of stable power supplies, good telecom services, wide penetration and/or low cost of
Internet connections, good Internet security, adequate quality and speed of lines, as well as good physical
infrastructure itself.
Source:
Almeida de Almenida et al. (2007), Promoting E-Commerce in Developing Countries.
Mann, Catherine L. (2000), Electronic Commerce in Developing Countries.
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Chapter 1
Establishing online business
Establishing
online
business
International
e-payment
Cross-border
delivery
Aftersales
Checklist: Establishing online business
Firm-level capabilities
9
9
9
9
9
Device to connect to Internet
Technical knowledge and skills
Business knowledge and skills
Language skills
Ability to create a secure online presence
Immediate business
environment
9
9
9
Affordable access to Internet
Access to registration as vendors on online e-commerce platforms
Access to skilled labour market
National environment
9
9
9
9
9
Simple business registration process with the local authorities
Easy intellectual property (IP) registration and policies addressing IP infringement
Solid ICT and electricity infrastructure
Successful implementation of e-signatures and e-contracts laws
National strategies for e-commerce growth
The fast-changing growth of Internet technology across the globe has fomented the widespread use of the
Internet for commercial purposes. In the digital age, it is an absolute must for any business to invest in
building an online presence. Establishing an online presence is required to effectively showcase the goods
or services that a business is offering to billions of people on the web.
With the advent of new technologies and the growing e-commerce market, there is a wide range of options
to explore when establishing online business, including low-cost options that require little or no technical
expertise. For instance, businesses can create an auction on an e-commerce platform to highlight their
products and can direct people to their websites for as little as 30 cents.
An online presence allows businesses to be open around the clock without any increase in overheads.
Products or services are advertised for the duration of the listing or for as long as the company’s website is
operational. Transactions and payments are executed online automatically without supervision. An online
presence is easy to set up and the benefits are reaped almost instantly. This is useful for businesses,
especially SMEs looking to go global, as it gives them access to potential consumers from many corners of
the world that would not otherwise be so easy to reach.
1. Building blocks for establishing successful online business
Business knowledge and skills
Prior to setting up an online presence, a firm must first search for a niche market by identifying something
that consumers feel they lack, and then figuring out how to meet the demand through e-commerce. Business
and entrepreneurial skills, such as the ability to develop a business plan, conduct market surveys, obtain
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knowledge of the product/service offering and search for funding, are as important in creating a successful
online business as they are for traditional brick-and-mortar businesses.
E-commerce is not simply about selling products and services. In many cases, it offers a new way to collect
and share information, and with the reduced cost of sharing information comes greater efficiency and
increased transparency. The first SME entrepreneur featured in this publication describes how he has
established an online tender portal that helps to disseminate procurement information and improve
transparency.
Case story 1.ring procurement information online in Bangladesh by Shohorab Ahmed Chowdhury, Tender Bazar.com
Sharing procurement information online in Bangladesh
By Shohorab Ahmed Chowdhury, TenderBazar.com
Buyers and bidders for procurement contracts in Bangladesh are meeting online through TenderBazar.com,
a portal created to share information about tender opportunities in the public and private sector. The platform
now serves 3,000 local and foreign subscribers, who can access the 8,000 tenders posted every year in
Bangladesh and make direct contact with the issuing companies and individuals. The platform is a
forerunner to the Government’s e-procurement system, now under development.
Current public procurement rules in Bangladesh oblige all buyers to publish tender notices in at least two
local newspapers. Roughly 500 tenders are published daily on the Central Procurement Technical Unit
website and in more than 60 local newspapers, making it cumbersome for bidders to filter relevant contents.
TenderBazar.com, which is dedicated to collecting all tender notices from various sources, was built to
address this challenge. Our daily activities include the collection and scanning of all local newspapers,
collection of tender notices from online sources, removal of repetitive content, quality control, translation from
Bengali to English and publishing on the portal. This user-friendly portal is designed to allow the sharing of
information about tender opportunities advertised across the country through one single access point,
enabling users to migrate to electronic tendering. It sends relevant tender notices to interested bidders
everyday through text messages, email and the portal itself. This is especially useful for international bidders
who, because of their location, are unable to purchase our local newspapers.
More than 3,000 local and foreign companies are now subscribed to our portal. Bidders interested in any of
the calls for tenders announced on the portal may get in touch with the point of contact mentioned in the
tender notice directly and arrange an agreement. TenderBazar.com also serves as a knowledge hub for
public procurement information. We provide various analytical reports like tender trend analysis,
geographical distribution of tenders, share of public and private tenders and share of local and international
tenders.
Our portal provides a platform for buyers and bidders to meet, but does not facilitate transactions between
the two parties. We may expand its functions and enable payments in the future if more payment methods
are made available to our country (see Chapter 2). To ensure sustainability and grow our business, we made
the portal replicable in other markets, especially those where procurement through tenders is common, such
as China, India, Indonesia and Malaysia.
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In general, to take a business from offline to online, the entrepreneur may adopt one of the following
business models:
x
Brick-and-mortar businesses have a physical presence but lacka commercial Internet presence. They
may use their sites for passive promotional purposes rather than to engage in online commercial
activity.
x
Bricks-and-clicks businesses have both an offline and an online presence, enabling consumers to
purchase goods or services online and offline.
x
Pure-play businesses operate exclusively online. Examples include giant e-commerce platforms, such
as Amazon and eBay, as well as search engines and Internet service providers.
Each model has its own advantages as well as shortfalls. Deciding which model works best will depend on
the entrepreneur’s knowledge about the market and available resources.
Language skills
Great potential exists for attracting the growing number of
online consumers around the world in their native languages.
A business looking to go global should therefore build a
multilingual site that is accessible in different countries and
targeted to a much wider audience. According to a 2011
study by the European Commission, 88% of Internet users in
the European Union (EU) said that when given a choice of
languages, they always visited a website in their own
language. Furthermore, 44% of Internet users in the EU
thought they were missing out on interesting information
because websites were not available in a language they
8
understood. Language skills or the ability to hire a translator
for building a multilingual site are therefore essential to
providing customers with an online shopping experience in
their preferred language.
“In my mind, a key challenge when retailers
are selling in foreign marketplaces is
delivering quality translations in the native
language. Good translations are vital because
they need to be in the right tone of voice, be
very accurate, deliver the benefits of the
product or service and obviously make sense
to the customer. If the translation is word-forword then the chances are that it won’t make
sense and you will encounter customer issues
and product returns.”
Matt Thorpe, Internet Marketing Consultant,
Grasshopper UK
Source: Geldman, A. (2015). Selling
internationally? Here’s 34 tips for cross-border ecommerce. WebRetailer.
Device to connect to the Internet
There are many devices which sellers can use to connect to the Internet, including laptops, notebooks,
desktops and smartphones. While any of these should suffice to set up an online business, sellers should
consider crafting an e-commerce website or using a platform which provides an online experience that is
accessible from all devices in order to reach a larger target audience and pick up more sales. Many ecommerce sites are built without mobile browsing capability because sellers often falsely assume that a
desktop-optimized site will deliver the same experience on a tablet.
Advances in technology will help narrow the language gap. Some online markets already offer machine
translation to facilitate communication. Nevertheless, at present, investing in the development of websites
that use the language of the company’s primary market is a good business decision.
Technical knowledge and skills
Sellers do not have to be world-class programmers to build an online business, but they do need to at least
understand how basic web technologies work. Basic building blocks, such as setting up an email account or
using online communication tools provided by online platforms or social media, are needed to get an online
store up and running. Programming, graphic design and photo editing skills are useful for the development of
a more sophisticated website, but these skills can also be outsourced to specialists.
8
8
European Commission (2011). User language preferences online: Analytical Report. Flash Eurobarometer Series No. 313.
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Ability to create a secure online presence
As e-commerce develops, security issues and threats become inevitable, preventing businesses from
engaging in e-commerce, especially in developing countries. E-commerce security, the most critical element
of e-commerce, is defined as the protection of e-commerce assets from unauthorized access, use, alteration
9
or destruction.
The virtual world operates quite differently from the offline environment, where consumers visit a physical
store, inspect potential purchases, engage in face-to-face contact with the seller and judge the
trustworthiness of the seller. Many consumers in the virtual world have no option but to rely on faith, knowing
little about the seller to whom they are entrusting their personal information.
The increased incidence of commercial fraud, coupled with weak Internet security control, inhibits the
advancement of e-commerce and makes customers even more reluctant to provide sensitive information.
Such security concerns deter people from going online. Even when the technology is actually capable of
handling the whole process, from placing an order to order fulfilment, online shopping is still perceived as not
providing the same level of security as offline shopping.
Consumers need to know that when they conduct a transaction online, they enjoy the same legal protection
as they do with traditional businesses – i.e., their confidence in the integrity of the business must be
reinforced before they will commit to a purchase. It is therefore necessary for businesses to follow a set of
open, industry-led, technical standards that facilitate interconnection and interoperability of businesses over
networks.
Information security, authentication and integrity are imperative for the smooth functioning of any ecommerce business. Any organization that uses a website to request, receive, process, collect, store or
display confidential or sensitive information may satisfy these criteria by obtaining a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
certificate, a global standard security technology that enables encrypted communication between a web
browser and a web server. Adherence to this standard is just as important as strengthening infrastructure
services like user authentication which are supported by the appropriate legislation.
There are three main channels through which a business can represent itself on the web and access the ecommerce market: e-commerce platforms, social media and the company’s own website. Each channel
offers different types of services and targets different audiences. While e-commerce platforms have long
been the main channels for cross-border e-commerce, social media sites are rapidly catching up on ecommerce sales. With the reduced cost of web hosting, and increased use of ready-made templates, more
and more companies are adding e-commerce functions to their own websites.
2. Main channels for setting up an e-commerce business
2.1. E-commerce platforms
E-commerce platforms connect millions of buyers and sellers around the world and are expanding trade
online. They create an opportunity for retailers around the world to increase the visibility of their products or
services. E-commerce companies like Amazon.com and Alibaba.com offer a platform for buyers and sellers
to meet online. Sellers have the opportunity to showcase their products and reach a large target audience.
Buyers have the opportunity to browse through numerous products from various sellers in different locations
and compare prices, all on the same platform.
Sales transactions on e-commerce platforms are initiated when both parties agree on a price for the chosen
product or service using the available methods of payment, with the e-commerce platform acting as a deal
facilitator. Once it receives payment from the customer, it notifies the seller to send the merchandise to the
buyer and transfers the payment to the seller. At times, other services such as warehousing, logistics and
customer service are provided to help the sellers focus on growing their businesses.
Some advantages for companies to incorporate e-commerce platforms into their business systems are:
9
Niranjaanamurthy, M. and Chahar D (2013). The study of E-commerce Security Issues and Solutions.
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x
Access to a wide range of customers
E-commerce platforms enable businesses, including SMEs, to reach international masses through the
ease of access and convenience offered by the platforms.
x
Market research
E-commerce platforms allow sellers to scope the market for a product or service offering, giving them
the ability to compare prices with competitors globally.
x
Credibility
Many e-commerce platforms require registration and verification of sellers, which ensures the
authenticity of the seller and the legitimacy of his/her business. The authenticity of Internet users
involved in an e-commerce transaction can be verified through the provision of credit card information,
SMS authentication or other means.
x
Reputation
Many e-commerce platforms allow consumers to post reviews, which are key to building the reputation
of a business; Positive feedback for sellers can be effective in encouraging other customers to trust
the sellers. Negative feedback, on the other hand, can be detrimental to a business’s reputation, but
can usually be addressed through a dispute settlement function integrated into the platform.
x
Security
Various modes of secure online payment integrated into the platforms facilitate transactions and help
businesses, including SMEs, to gain customers from diverse backgrounds.
Table 3.
Major e-commerce platforms
E-commerce platforms
Details
eBay
eBay Inc. is headquartered in the United States. It started as one of the first online
auction sites and is now a multibillion-dollar business with operations in over 30
countries. The website is free to use for buyers, but sellers are charged fees for listing
items and again when those items are sold.
Amazon
Amazon is the largest Internet-based e-commerce retailer in the United States, and
operates 10 online marketplaces (websites) worldwide, in Canada, China, France,
Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Spain, United Kingdom and United States. Amazon allows
companies to advertise their products by paying to be listed as featured products. Its
fulfilment centres provide warehousing and order-fulfilment, including customer service
and return for third-party sellers.
Alibaba
Alibaba is the largest online retailer in China. Alibaba-owned sites include Taobao,
Tmall, and Tmall Global. Taobao started as a C2C platform that allows individual sellers
and small businesses to sell their products via auctions or fixed prices. Tmall operates
as a virtual mall, linking small businesses and major brands to consumers. Tmall Global,
designed to accommodate sellers outside of China, allows foreign companies to sell
directly to Chinese consumers without requiring them to have Chinese business licences
or to store inventory in China.
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Mercado Libre
MercadoLibre is Latin America's leading e-commerce site. Headquartered in Argentina, it
offers a cross-border trade programme for foreign sellers that is operational in Brazil and
Mexico and will eventually be available in other Latin American countries.
Jumia
Jumia, the leading e-commerce platform in Africa, was established in May 2012 in
Nigeria as part of Africa Internet Group (AIG). The company operates in Algeria,
Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda and
United Republic of Tanzania.
Souq.com
Souq.com is the largest e-commerce platform in the Arab world, and currently delivers to
Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates..
Source: eBay, Amazon, Alibaba, Mercado Libre, Jumia, Souq.com and Wikipedia.
2.2. Social media e-commerce
The online landscape has changed profoundly since the emergence of social media. Social media allow
individuals to easily remain connected with one another. More and more people are communicating
information on a “many-to-many” global platform that permits users to learn about the experiences of others
residing in other countries. Consumers tend to trust the opinions of their peers more than those presented by
traditional advertisements, and use social media to find reviews of specific products and services.
Social media have become a cornerstone of marketing products and services. They can be a particularly
important channel for SME suppliers from developing countries since, although in many cases they are
unable to compete on costs and quantity with big firms, they can promote the uniqueness of their offerings
as a competitive edge. Marketing through word of mouth is thus more important for SMEs that do not yet
have an established brand influence.
Facebook estimates that 50 million of SMEs are on its platform, twice as many as in 2013. To put this figure
10
in perspective, consider that the World Bank estimated there were 125 million SMEs worldwide in 2010.
Social media attract a large number of users and can thus be used as a channel for companies to improve
online visibility and acquire new customers. In addition, many social media networks now feature business
tools that allow businesses to build customer relationships and better promote their products/services. Social
media are also important for services exporters. For instance, LinkedIn serves as a crucial portal for
businesses to find professionals and build partnerships. Its network has grown to 400 million members
11
worldwide.
While companies primarily use social media to connect to customers, create marketing buzz and bring
consumers to their websites, many social media platforms are looking to bring conversions closer by
developing features that facilitate e-commerce transactions, such as enabling sellers to post and sell items
directly through social networks.
Shopify, a Canadian e-commerce company, conducted a study comparing various major social media
12
platforms and their e-commerce features. The findings are summarized in Table 4.
10
Manyika et al. (2016). Digital globalization: the new era of global flows.
11
Awan, A. (2015, October 29). How LinkedIn’s 400 million members are helping build the economic graph.
12
Macdonald, M. (n.d.). Which social media platforms drive the most sales? (infographic).
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Table 4.
Major social media platforms and their e-commerce functions
Pinterest
In June 2014 Pinterest rolled out “buyable pins” which can be clicked on for immediate purchase. These
buyable pins are currently offered at no cost. Pinterest has around 100 million users, 93% of whom use the
platform to research purchases and 87% of whom purchased an item because of Pinterest.
Targeting
Users can discover pins either through traditional text search or through Pinterest’s newly
launched visual search feature.
Availability
Buyable pins are available to companies working with specific e-commerce engines, such as
Shopify, Magento and IBM Commerce.
Limitations
Buyable pins are available only in the United States, on iPhones and iPads.
Instagram
With the launch of its new application program interface (API) in summer 2015, Instagram added a directresponse functionality for specific advertisements. Buttons prompt users to shop now, learn more and
download now (in the case of advertising for apps).
Targeting
Advertisers can target users based not only on demographic information, but also on
Facebook data.
Availability
Instagram ads are available only to selected brands. Such brands as Disney, Electronic Arts,
The Gap and Taco Bell have run Instagram ad campaigns to date.
Limitations
Ads keep users inside the Instagram ecosystem by opening a mini-browser within the app.
Brands like The Gap use third-party services, including Like2Buy, to drive users to their
websites.
YouTube
YouTube began rolling out dynamic ads in TrueView pre-roll videos in May 2015. The ads can display products
related to the content of the video being viewed. According to Google, in 2015 product review videos jumped
50% compared to 2014. Wayfair participated in preliminary tests of the software and found that revenue per
impression tripled over that of past campaigns.
Targeting
Products are dynamically added to in-stream videos based on demographic and contextual
information. The videos can also be used for remarketing.
Availability
Available to AdWords advertisers via Google Merchant Center.
Limitations
The rollout of cards also led YouTube to change how it charges advertisers for TrueView
ads. When people click on any card element, YouTube charge the advertiser, even if the
viewers choose to skip the ad .
Twitter
Twitter has attempted to roll out social shopping, including Amazon Cart integration and a partnership with
American Express. Twitter launched a buy button in 2014, and in summer 2015 added product collections from
brands and influencers.
Targeting
12
Users can be targeted by username, keyword groups, interests and geolocation.
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Availability
Buyable pins are available to companies working with specific e-commerce engines, such as
Shopify, Big commerce and demandware.
Limitations
Buy buttons are available only to United States retailers.
Facebook
Facebook has been testing a range of social commerce integrations since 2010. Facebook is the most popular
app for the average smartphone user, accounting for 10% of total usage time, according to a Forrester survey.
Facebook itself states that 50% of users come to the site looking for products.
Targeting
Beyond demographic and location data, users can be targeted based on purchasing
behaviour and life events. Facebook also offers “custom audiences” based on external
contact lists (including email databases).
Availability
Shopping feeds present users with a feed of products that retailers have chosen to highlight
on their pages. Feeds are personalized, based on such factors as interests, liked pages and
connections. Immersive ads, called “Canvas”, allow advertisers to show users interactive,
full-screen product ads. Canvas can be used to explore product size and style variants
before moving users to the vendor site to complete their transaction. The ads are intended to
reduce friction on mobile devices between browsing and buying. Both features are currently
being tested by selected advertisers and shown to a small number of Facebook users.
Limitations
As both features are now in a testing phase, they may never become available to smaller
retailers.
Source: Shopify.
2.3. Company’s own website
A website helps a business increase its visibility, establish its credibility and build its reputation. Globally, two
thirds of small businesses with an online presence said they elected to create a company website because it
makes the company look more credible, and 60% said they believe that a website is critical for a small
13
company’s success.
Despite the importance of having a website, a 2013 Weebly survey reveals that over 55% businesses do not
have a website, while 56% of survey respondents said they do not trust a business without a website.
Without a website, businesses may seem inaccessible and unreliable, whereas what consumers want is
companies with easy-to-access information. Online presence also drives consumers to a business’s physical
store. For instance, the top-viewed pages on a museum website are generally those that list the opening
14
hours, directions, events calendars and other visitor information. A website may not replace the experience
of visiting a physical store, but it increases the visibility of the business and entices more consumers to visit
the physical store.
Some companies may simply opt for social media rather than creating a website because of the convenient
template that social media offer and the seemingly daunting task of building a website. Fortunately, in
today’s digital era, establishing a viable online presence can be done in a short time and for a small price
tag. There are many software programmes that provide website hosting, domains and drag-and-drop design
platforms and templates, eliminating or at least reducing the need for technical skills. These programmes are
generally free at the base level. The variable cost of maintaining a website is small compared to the benefits
13
Verisign (2013). Benefits and barriers of bringing a small business online: perspectives from global small businesses.
14
Haynes, J., & Zambonini, D. (2007). Why Are They Doing That!? How Users Interact With Museum Web sites. In Museums and the
Web.
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and exposure a business gets from building its online presence. A website offers comprehensive information
about a business to all of its potential consumers, including those who are not within close proximity of the
physical store. Smaller businesses can leverage their position with minimal effort. Rather than having to
choose social media over a website or vice versa, a business can maximize its coverage by having both.
Through social media channels, a business can keep its prospects engaged and redirect them to the website
where information can be accessed in greater detail. When used effectively, social media can help
businesses boost both online and in-store traffic.
3. Enabling policies for establishing e-commerce businesses
3.1. Seller registration on online e-commerce platforms
Although it might seem that access to the global leading e-commerce platforms should be unlimited in all
countries, the truth is that registration with e-marketplace or e-commerce platforms sometimes remains
limited for merchants in certain developing countries. For instance, Amazon.com – one of the world’s largest
e-commerce companies by online revenue – restricts seller registration to those residing in specific
15
countries:
Table 5.
Countries accepted for seller registration on Amazon Marketplace
Amazon Marketplace
Total number of countries
accepted for seller registration
Number
of
developing
countries
accepted for seller registration
United States
102
62
Canada
101
63
United Kingdom
71
23
Source: Amazon U.S., Amazon Canada, Amazon U.K.
A recent MasterCard study of four economies – Canada, Brazil, Germany and South Africa – finds that
although 90% of merchants have an online presence, only 20% have an e-commerce website because they
16
lack the technology for accepting payments online.
According to a recent ITC study, some African countries place domestic restrictions on the amount of money
17
that can be transferred across borders. All foreign exchange transactions in South Africa, for instance, are
subject to exchange control regulations administered by the South African Reserve Bank. The regulations
limit the amount of money a person may transfer out of South Africa and the circumstances in which such
transfers are permitted.
Exchange controls are used to protect the country’s foreign exchange reserves and regulate available
foreign currency in the best interest of the country as a whole. In South Africa, a limit of R 1 million per
calendar year may be utilized by any resident under 18 years of age for any legal purpose abroad, including
18
investment. The regulations forbid anyone from executing a transfer without prior approval from the
19
Reserve Bank and limit the execution of currency transfers to authorized dealers. Credit card purchases of
20
imports, including goods and services online, are limited to R 20,000 per transaction.
Furthermore, a number of African countries may only receive payments from foreign credit card holders
through costly intermediaries, because the domestic banking system lacks the necessary international links.
15
Amazon U.S., Amazon Canada and Amazon U.K. (n.d.). List of Accepted Countries.
16
MasterCard (2014). Small to mid-sized merchants seek competitive technology in omni-channel world.
17
ITC (2015). International E-commerce in Africa: The Way Forward, ITC, Geneva.
18
South African Reserve Bank (n.d.). Financial Surveillance and Exchange Control – Section H.
19
Incompass Forex (n.d.). South Africa Exchange Control Regulations.
20
IMF (2000). South Africa: selected issues. IMF Staff Country Report No. 00/42.
14
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Although global e-commerce platform providers offer integrated payment solutions, many African companies
21
cannot actually use them because they lack the requisite foreign bank account or subsidiary. For instance,
PayPal’s expansion into Nigeria, the country with the largest Internet penetration in Africa, eases online
payment, which is a huge leap forward that could empower e-commerce merchants, but users in Nigeria
22
cannot yet transfer funds from their PayPal account to a local bank account. Compliance with banking
regulations and related private-sector rules is yet another challenge to be addressed for the smooth
functioning of the e-commerce industry.
3.2. IP-related issues in e-commerce
E-commerce often involves selling products and services for which IP is the main value component of the
transaction. This is particularly true of trade in such digital products as music, video, pictures, photos,
software, designs, training modules and systems.
Safeguarding intellectual property rights (IPRs) is crucial to every e-commerce business, as it protects things
of value that are traded over the Internet and helps businesses obtain remuneration for their work. IP is also
vital to the very functioning of e-commerce businesses, encompassing such systems as software, networks,
23
designs, chips, routers and switches, user interfaces and so on. IP can include formal properties, such as
trademarks, copyrights and patents, as well as informal properties, such as company know-how or secrets.
Rules governing IP not only allow businesses to have exclusive rights over their unique ideas, but also help
establish the business identity, thus encouraging the establishment of e-commerce business.
IP registration is an integral step for any e-commerce business to take as it enforces the owner’s rights;
without such registration, it would be difficult to prove infringement of the property. However, the complex
and costly procedures often associated with IP registration may deter companies from acquiring IP
protection or establishing any online presence at all.
Governments should therefore assist SMEs in making effective use of the IP system by improving the policy
framework and creating a conducive business environment. This can be done through the provision of
institutional support services for any IP-related issues. For example, the Cuban Industrial Property Office
offers a series of information and advisory services on intellectual property to SMEs. It acts as a link between
the private sector and the technical areas of the IP Office and offers such services as diagnosis of a
24
company’s IP needs, training and advice on IP.
One of the consequences of digital technology is that it makes it easy to copy and redistribute ideas through
a few simple clicks of a mouse, which allows unscrupulous third parties to abuse the benefits of e-commerce.
While large e-commerce companies have the financial capability and resources to fight this issue and protect
themselves against infringers, SMEs generally lack the resources to do so. Deficiencies in the law protecting
IPRs, or a weak policy framework, can result in massive losses that may strip an e-commerce business
down to nothing. Countries – and developing countries in particular – therefore need to implement a
framework to better protect and enforce IPRs.
2.
Protect intellectual property across borders for Kenyan software developers by Ann Gakere, Sawasawa.com
21
ITC (2015). International E-commerce in Africa: The Way Forward, ITC, Geneva.
22
Nsehe, M. (2015, March 12). Nigeria Becomes PayPal's 2nd Largest Market In Africa.
23
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Small and Medium Enterprises Division (n.d.).
24
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (n.d.). The Cuban Industrial Property Office.
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Protect intellectual property across borders for Kenyan software developers
by Ann Gakere, Sawasawa.com
Sawasawa.com, a custom software design and development firm based in Kenya, is concerned about
protecting its intellectual property abroad. Registering trademarks and patents in every destination country is
burdensome and costly, impeding the company’s growth. Limited finances mean that Sawasawa, and other
young innovators like it, must sometimes export without IP protection. Governments should stimulate
innovation by enforcing intellectual property rights that protect pre-patent concepts.
We’ve successfully exported our web and software solutions to over 12 African countries, Switzerland and
Myanmar. However, going global has proven expensive and burdensome, since we have to register our
trademarks and patents both in Kenya and in every country to which we export, which may also involve
hiring legal experts. Sometimes we’re forced to export without IP protection, putting our intellectual property
at risk and impeding the growth of our e-commerce business.
One of our greatest struggles arises when unrefined ideas are developed at an early stage, as they cannot
be registered until further articulated and translated into products, services or fully rationalized business
propositions. Unlike big companies, many young innovators in Kenya, especially university students and
SMEs, lack the financial capability to develop their ideas into a prototype or product that can be registered as
a patent or trademark. Their ideas risk being purloined.
We have found that IP protection is key to success in any business, including e-commerce, but it is largely
inadequate in Kenya. Currently, innovators in Kenya are able to register their IP and obtain copyright through
an automated online registration system developed by the Kenya Copyright Board and Microsoft 4Afrika.
They can also obtain a patent, trademark or certification mark from the Kenya Industrial Property Institute.
But while it is manageable for a small-sized company like ours to register a few items, it is financially
challenging to register numerous items.
To stimulate innovation in Kenya, IP rights that protect pre-patent concepts and propositions must be
enforced. This is an area where the Government can step in and help innovators protect their ideas. It can,
for example, enhance existing ICT initiatives like Enterprise Kenya, which aims to encourage tech innovation
in the country.
IP is an invaluable foundation for any software development company like ours, as we garner the greatest
economic value from the innovative ideas or intangible assets embodied in our software. Patent protection
benefits our small-sized company by granting us exclusive rights to commercialize our products and services
for a period of time, hence giving us a strong market position.
3.3. Solid ICT infrastructure and affordable access to the Internet
In many developing countries, basic infrastructure like electricity and ICT – the main ingredients for the
promotion of e-commerce – is insufficient. Existing electricity and ICT infrastructure in developing countries
often has uneven coverage, with higher concentration in urban areas. Inadequate access to basic
infrastructure is a key barrier to the establishment of e-commerce business. Improving SMEs’ access to
Internet technologies requires extensive ICT and electricity infrastructure-building and expanded provision to
16
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rural areas, which are currently underserved in many developing countries. This may include the
development of shared ICT facilities that offer free public access to computers and the Internet.
For small firms to set up an online business, the benefits of e-commerce adoption must outweigh the costs,
since they generally face budget constraints and may be averse to risks. Therefore, the provision of
affordable Internet access and reliable Internet networks is an important policy area for policymakers to
examine for e-commerce readiness. This includes broadband connectivity, which determines the speed of
data transfer and affects the overall online experience for both sellers and buyers.
To conduct e-commerce in an efficient way, connectivity is not enough. Fast broadband connections may not
initially have been necessary for setting up an online presence, but bandwidth is certainly needed to keep an
e-commerce business going, especially those that offer more sophisticated interactive functions online
involving heavy use of images and videos. In addition, a slow Internet connection may discourage
businesses from adopting e-commerce, as it makes establishing an online presence costly and/or timeconsuming.
While mobile broadband is increasingly important, fixed broadband remains dominant in many developing
countries. In 2014, a basic fixed broadband subscription cost less than 5% of the average gross national
25
income (GNI) per capita in 111 countries, of which 44 were developed and 67 were developing countries.
In many developing countries, such service remains out of reach for many people, especially those with low
incomes or those who live in rural areas. In developing countries, average monthly fixed broadband rates are
three times higher than in developed countries. High-speed Internet is not widely available in developing
countries for many different reasons. Private investors may be risk-averse about investing in infrastructure:
Connecting the more than 18,000 islands that make up Indonesia, for example, would pose a major logistical
26
challenge.
Figure 2. Broadband rates as a percentage of gross national income
90
80
70
60
43
50
40
1
30
20
36
10
Developed countries
Developing countries
32
12
0
0 to 2
2 to 5
5 to 8
5
10
8 to 10
10 to 20
11
11
20 to 30 more than
30
2014 broadband rates as a % of GNI
Source: ITU (2015). ICT Facts and Figures: the world in 2015.
While Internet service providers can improve broadband connection, it is up to policymakers to increase
competition or remove monopolies in the ICT industry to drive down the cost of Internet access. Advances in
Internet penetration will not increase SMEs’ involvement in e-commerce unless it is complemented by low
connection costs. Oftentimes, the bottleneck originates not with incumbent broadband providers but with the
Government’s regulatory interventions regarding broadband infrastructure. The Government needs to build
25
ITU (2015). ICT Facts and Figures: the world in 2015.
26
A.T. Kearney, Inc & CIMB ASEAN Research Institute (2015). Lifting the barriers to e-commerce in ASEAN.
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an enabling environment for all companies to be able to compete fairly in the market. Regulations favouring
some companies over others often come at a cost for consumers and businesses in terms of limited and
27
expensive Internet access or bandwidth that is inadequate for e-commerce.
3.4. Access to skilled labour market
The availability of solid Internet infrastructure alone, when not accompanied by access to the relevant skills,
does not lend itself to the adoption of e-commerce. A firm relies on locally available ICT expertise, which is
determined by the pool of skilled labour available in the country. While a firm has the option to outsource the
skills and tap the global labor pool, some work cannot simply be outsourced. For instance, Jeffrey Taft, an
engineer fluent in programming languages, works as a translator between the different vernaculars and
cultures of computing and electric power, which involves a lot of face-to-face interaction. This type of work
28
cannot be done overseas.
Developing countries often suffer from information technology (IT) skills shortages because their workforce is
not sufficiently equipped with the necessary skills for the adoption of e-commerce. Furthermore, some
developing countries are unable to retain skilled workers at home, with many talented individuals leaving the
country (brain drain). The advent of the Internet has opened up the possibility of providing services to foreign
consumers without physically moving skilled labour abroad. Given the large wage differentials for skilled
workers in developed and developing countries, the potential gain from exports of services through crossborder e-commerce is high, and could potentially alleviate brain drain.
Education is the most crucial policy intervention to overcome skilled labour shortages. It is a key factor in
endowing developing countries with a talented e-commerce workforce and for enhancing the ability of
developing-country nationals to participate in the digital economy. Governments can also encourage greater
investment in education, provide digital education programmes in schools or universities that charge
reasonable tuition fees, and increase human resource capacity-building so as to equip the labour force with
computer literacy and business skills.
3.5. Simple business registration process with the local authorities
It is well recognized that a favourable business environment is essential to support the growth of the private
sector. Yet in many developing countries the business registration system is cumbersome and costly,
constituting a barrier for business development. To set up a business entity, including e-business,
entrepreneurs must usually comply with a number of government formalities and other requirements.
The downsides of complicated registration procedures – an excessive number of repetitious steps, unclear
information on the procedure, and slow processing time – may discourage businesspeople from registering
or establishing their businesses. The government is generally responsible for making the business
registration process as simple and efficient as possible. In fact, some countries already offer “one-stopshopping” for SME business registration, which greatly helps small businesses to get off the ground.
Regulators in developing countries are highly encouraged to review registration procedures, determining
which steps are really necessary and which can be simplified or even eliminated, thereby cutting the costs
and effort involved in registering a business. Transformation from a paper-based to an automated system
that allows registration applications to be submitted online and incorporates e-payment and e-signature
functionalities should encourage more businesses to register. It would speed up the process and make it
more convenient, representing lower entry barriers for new entrants into e-commerce in developing
countries.
27
Crovitz, L. G. (2015). Government’s internet monopoly: regulatory control, not mergers in a declining cable industry, is what limits
consumer choice.
28
Lohr, S. (2007, 4 July). In high-tech economy, some jobs cannot be outsourced.
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3.6. Successful implementation of e-signatures and e-contract laws
Developing countries often encounter technical challenges in the implementation of public key Infrastructure
(PKI), including the infrastructure for digital signatures, which are used to authenticate a document’s origin.
PKI refers to the technical mechanisms, procedures and policies that collectively provide a framework for
addressing the fundamentals of security – authentication, confidentiality, integrity, non-repudiation and
29
access control. PKI is a global standard for Internet security that is vital for e-commerce, as the major
challenges for online communication include establishing trust similar to the trust that develops in physical
marketplaces, and binding contracts for online transactions. The proper handling of the legal implications of
electronic transactions is the important part of PKI implementation.
Developing countries sometimes also lack the mechanisms to facilitate cross-border recognition of electronic
signatures. If electronic signatures and the certification services providers who authenticate them cannot
satisfy the various legal and technical requirements in different jurisdictions, this may prevent e-signatures
from being used in cross-border transactions.
The Model Law on Electronic Signatures (MLES) of the United Nations Commission on International Trade
Law (UNCITRAL) aims to enable and facilitate the use of electronic signatures by establishing criteria of
30
technical reliability for the equivalence between electronic and hand-written signatures. The Model Law
establishes criteria for equivalence between electronic and handwritten signatures based on a two-tiered
31
approach and on liability rules for the parties involved in the signature process.
3.7. National strategies for e-commerce growth
To support efforts to create an enabling environment for e-commerce and fully exploit the opportunities
offered by the e-commerce industry, governments can play an active role by adopting a national e-strategy
based on consultations with officials, business practitioners and other relevant stakeholders. Strategic
measures to help galvanize e-commerce include fostering SMEs and facilitating innovation, exports and
cross-border trade capability, Other key measures are to promote new payment solutions, a bigger
consumer market, local productivity, inclusive rural development, and job opportunities in the IT and
32
business process outsourcing sectors.
The first phase of developing a national strategy involves gauging the country’s readiness for e-commerce,
which helps identify actions needed to further propel the growth of e-commerce. Measuring a country’s ereadiness includes assessing the quality of a country’s ICT infrastructure, the ability of businesses to use
ICT, and other factors mentioned in this chapter. For example, if e-signature recognition is a challenge, then
a national strategy may include actions to create mechanisms that facilitate cross-border recognition of esignatures.
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) defines a country that is ready for e-commerce as one that has
free trade, industry self-regulation, ease of exports and compliance with international standards and trade
33
agreements. APEC’s e-readiness assessment measures six different factors at the macro level:
29
Comodo (n.d.). What is PKI?
30
UNCITRAL (2001). UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Signatures.
31
Gregory, J. D. (2015). The United Nations Electronic Communications Convention. Regional Workshop on e-Commerce Legislation
Harmonization in the Caribbean [PowerPoint slides].
32
UNCTAD (2015, November 30). UNCTAD to support Government of Egypt in developing a national e-commerce strategy.
33
APEC (2000). E-commerce Readiness Assessment Guide. Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Readiness Initiative,
Electronic Commerce Steering Group.
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Case stor y 3nt cr oss-border r ecog nition of e- doc uments in Africa by Ros e M aghas, GreenBell C ommunications
Implement cross-border recognition of e-documents in Africa
By Rose Maghas, GreenBell Communications
GreenBell Communications, a Kenya-based digital marketing agency, has lost out on tenders because esignatures are not universally accepted in Africa, and the cost of shipping hard copy can be prohibitive. The
firm urges policymakers to facilitate recognition of e-documents, citing Kenya’s e-Citizen portal as a model
for how government can support the e-commerce community.
Our company, GreenBell Communications, develops customized web and mobile applications that help
businesses establish or strengthen their online presence. The biggest obstacle we face is the lack of
recognition of electronically signed documents in many African countries.
In 2013, we accepted an invitation to tender for designing an Intranet for a bank in Egypt. Despite the short
deadline, we managed to prepare the documents. Since the invitation had been sent digitally, we assumed
we could also submit our proposal online. However, the proposal was not accepted in electronic form,
leaving us no choice but to have hard copy shipped from Kenya to Egypt. The shipping costs were way
beyond what a small company like ours could afford. As a result, our bid was not considered and we missed
out on this valuable business opportunity. Three years have passed, but the problem persists.
We have partially solved the problem by partnering with export specialists. We worked with a local company
in Rwanda, for example, which is authorized to print and deliver official proposals, enabling us to deliver
hard-copy documents to our clients in Rwanda. But in cases where partnerships are not possible, we
typically opt not to bid, as the cost of bidding outweighs the benefits of winning the assignments. This is why
we call on policymakers to develop a better legal framework or take other steps to facilitate the recognition of
e-documents, encourage digitization within companies and create a favourable environment for ecommerce. The Kenyan Government has already taken action to support the country’s expanding ecommerce community by launching e-Citizen, a portal through which a number of services can be processed
and paid for online.
While some African countries already have laws in place to recognize e-signatures, implementation is
apparently lagging behind. As digitization becomes increasingly common in the rest of the world, addressing
the problem in Kenya will have huge implications on the ground and facilitate the transition to end-to-end
digital systems. Promotion of e-commerce will improve the efficiency of our business and a whole raft of
other businesses in Kenya by minimizing commuting and reducing paper-based processes.
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•
Basic infrastructure and technology (speed, pricing, access, market competition, industry standards,
foreign investment)
•
Access to network services (bandwidth, industry diversity, export controls, credit card regulation)
•
Use of Internet (in business, government and homes)
•
Promotion and facilitation (industry-led standards)
•
Skills and human resources (ICT education, workforce)
•
Positioning for the digital economy (taxes and tariffs, industry self-regulation, government regulations,
consumer trust).
Undertaking this assessment helps in understanding national needs, analysing the characteristics of the ecommerce market, identifying the main challenges to the country’s full participation in e-commerce, and
formulating effective solutions to increase technology integration in business activities.
The assessment should include a comprehensive review of the evolution of e-commerce, existing initiatives
34
to support it and a stocktaking of the resources and capabilities that could contribute to its development.
The strategy formulation phase is aimed at producing recommendations on how to develop the optimal
conditions for e-commerce. Due to the complex, dynamic, multifaceted and rapidly evolving e-commerce
landscape, regular and thorough performance monitoring is needed to evaluate whether the implemented
policies have succeeded in harnessing the opportunities offered by e-commerce.
Figure 3. Phases to develop a national strategy to promote e-commerce growth
Assessment (or
reassessment)
Review
Monitoring
Strategy
formulation
Implementation
Source: UNCTAD (2015). Information Economy Report 2015: Unlocking the potential of e-commerce for developing countries.
34
UNCTAD (2015). Information Economy Report 2015: Unlocking the potential of e-commerce for developing countries.
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Box 2.
The ASEAN ICT Masterplan 2015
The ASEAN ICT Masterplan 2015 was launched at the 10th Telecommunications and IT Ministers Meeting of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2011. It has provided a framework and roadmap for the
development of ICT at the regional level and has resulted in greater ICT development in the ASEAN member
countries.
The master plan revolves around six strategic thrusts comprising three pillars and three foundations:
x
Economic transformation: ASEAN will create a business environment conducive to attracting and promoting
trade, investment and entrepreneurship in the ICT sector. ICT will also be the engine that transforms other
sectors of the economy.
x
People empowerment and engagement: ASEAN will enhance the quality of life through affordable and
equitable ICT.
x
Innovation: ASEAN will foster a creative, innovative and green ICT sector.
x
Infrastructure development: ASEAN will develop ICT infrastructure to support the provision of services to all
ASEAN communities.
x
Human capital development: ASEAN will develop competent and skilled human capital in ICT to support the
growth of the ICT sector and help transform other sectors of the economy.
x
Bridging the digital divide: ASEAN will address the varying levels of ICT development and adoption within
individual countries and across the region. ASEAN will also focus on bridging other gaps within the digital
divide to promote greater adoption of ICT.
The Mid-term Review of the Masterplan was published in late 2013. At that time, 62% of the action points were
completed, 24% were ongoing and 14% were at risk of not being completed. Since then, the efforts of the
ASEAN Member States have resulted in timely completion of all the action points. This reflects the commitment
of the AMS to work together towards the completion of the AIM 2015 and underlines how collaboration between
the AMS has borne fruit.
Source: ASEAN secretariat (2015), ASEAN ICT Masterplan 2015 Completion Report.
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Chapter 2
International e-payment
Establishing
online
business
International
e-payment
Cross-border
delivery
Aftersales
Checklist: International e-payment
Firm-level capabilities
Immediate business
environment
9
9
9
Bank account and online banking
Sign-up for encryption solutions, e.g. SSL certificate
Knowledge of e-payment solutions
9
9
Availability of third-party e-payment services provider
Links between third-party e-payment services provider and local banks to
enable local withdrawals
9
9
Functional financial market in line with international standards
Foreign exchange system allowing free convertibility of currency and
regulations on the free flow of currency (current account)
Adoption of internationally recognized standards
Regulations on prevention of online fraud and combating cybercrime
National environment
9
9
1.
E-payment markets in e-commerce development
E-payments are defined as payments that are initiated, processed and received electronically. Economic and
35
behavioural changes are leading to a continued rise in non-cash payments, including those made online.
Access to competitive payment solutions is vital for all forms of e-commerce; unlike bricks-and-mortar
36
companies, online retailers often require payments to be made before a sale is completed, which
underlines the importance of e-payment options.
Payment systems for online purchases can be classified into account-based, electronic currency and other
37, 38
Account-based payment systems allow payment through an existing personalized account,
systems.
which can be executed using credit cards, debit cards, mediators such as PayPal, mobile phones/landline
telephones or online banking. Electronic currency systems include smart cards (mainly used to pay small
amounts within organizations) and online cash systems (software-only electronic money instruments or
prepaid cards).
The advent of e-payment offers considerable opportunities for SMEs to expand their customer base, launch
new products and rationalize their businesses by competing in global economies. Adoption of e-payments is
likely to increase the global access of SMEs, reduce their transaction costs and provide substantial benefits
via improved efficiencies and raised revenues. It could also facilitate access to potential customers and
39
suppliers, productivity improvements, and information exchange and management. Limited access to epayment options, by contrast, can represent a significant barrier to e-commerce, especially for SMEs
35
European Central Bank (2004). E-payments without frontiers. Issues paper for the ECB conference on 10 November 2004.
36
UNCTAD (2015). Information Economy Report 2015: Unlocking the potential of e-commerce for developing countries.
37
OECD (2006). Online payment systems for e-commerce.
38
OECD (2012). Report on consumer protection in online and mobile payments.
39
UNCTAD (2012). Information Economy Report 2012: The software industry and developing countries.
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40
interested in cross-border e-commerce. In fact, the availability of secure e-payment options is one of the
vital ingredients for participating in e-commerce.
Globally, e-commerce is proving to be a vast and rapidly growing market. Driven by the proliferation of
smartphones and tablets, Internet/mobile access, and e-payments, global B2C e-commerce grew 21% in
41
2012, topping US$ 1 trillion for the first time. With the continued maturation of online purchase tools and
consumer confidence, emerging Asian markets have been driving the ongoing global acceleration of ecommerce spending. E-commerce volume in Viet Nam, for example, reached US$ 1.3 billion in 2015, nearly
42
doubling from US$ 700 million in 2012. The Indian e-commerce market was up by 35% in 2013 (after a
40% rise in 2012), while the Chinese e-commerce market increased by 65% in 2013 over the previous
43
year.
44
Credit cards account for the lion’s share of retail e-commerce settlements. However, usage patterns vary
substantially, with most of the developed countries relying on accounts-based systems. The distribution of etransactions value by payment method and region for 2012 is shown in Table 6 below. The table shows that
credit cards are the dominant mode of e-payments in North America and Europe, with considerably more
variation in the developing world, where credit cards account for less than half by value of total etransactions. While mobile payments accounted for only 1% of the total value of e-payments in 2012, they
are more important in several African countries “due to high degrees of financial exclusion, limited availability
45
of fixed lines, cost of fixed lines and cost of the card infrastructure”. That said, cash on delivery was the
dominant mode of payment in Africa and the Middle East.
Table 6.
Distribution of e-transactions value by payment method and region (%, 2012)
Region
Credit cards
E-wallets
Direct debit
Cash on delivery
Bank transfer
Other
United States and Canada
71
18
2
1
1
7
Europe
59
13
5
5
8
11
Latin America
47
10
4
8
13
18
Africa and Middle East
34
5
0
48
3
10
Asia and Oceania
37
23
1
11
14
14
World
57
17
2
5
7
12
Source: WorldPay (2014). Your global guide to alternative payments. Second edition.
Global payments revenue rose from US$ 1.5 trillion in 2013 to US$ 1.7 trillion in 2014, and annual global
payments revenue is expected to increase by 6% per annum during the next five years, exceeding US$ 2
46
trillion by 2020. Credit cards accounted for a significant share of the global payments revenue in 2014,
even as there were striking differences across regions (see Figure 1 below). Asia-Pacific accounted for
43.5% (US$ 740 billion) of the global payments revenue in 2014, but credit cards represented only 9% of
those revenues. Credit cards were far more important as a source of payments revenue in North America,
accounting for half of the US$ 360-billion total. Similarly in Latin America, they accounted for nearly one third
(US$ 205 billion) of all payments revenue in the region. In Europe, Middle East and Africa, credit cards
contributed to 15% of the US$ 370 billion in payments revenue. Credit cards thus accounted for more than
one fifth (21.8%) of global payments revenue in 2014.
In sum, the use of e-payments has been growing exponentially around the world, and demographic trends
are likely to continue the drive towards further adoption in the future. Three macroelements will be
40
UNCTAD (2015). Information Economy Report 2015: Unlocking the potential of e-commerce for developing countries. United Nations
publication.
41
eMarketer (2013). B2C Ecommerce Climbs Worldwide, as Emerging Markets Drive Sales Higher.
42
Vietnam E-Commerce and Information Technology Agency. (2013, May 26). Press release.
43
eMarketer (2013). B2C Ecommerce Climbs Worldwide, as Emerging Markets Drive Sales Higher.
44
WorldPay (2014). Your global guide to alternative payments.
45
Innopay (2012). Online payments 2012 – Moving beyond the web.
46
McKinsey (2015). Global payments 2015: A healthy industry confronts disruption.
24
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47
instrumental in accelerating the growth of e-payments in emerging markets: the growth of the middle class;
financial inclusion and rural economic mobility; and global mobility and remittances.
Figure 4. Global payments revenue in 2014
2.
Challenges to adopting e-commerce
While e-commerce offers potential benefits relating to enhanced participation in global value chains (GVCs),
increased market access and reach, and improved internal and market efficiency combined with lower
48
the uptake of e-commerce has largely been confined to large enterprises in the
transaction costs,
49
developed world. This is also true for the adoption of e-payments, as confirmed by the stylized facts
documented in the preceding section; cash on delivery, for example, remains the dominant mode of payment
in Africa and the Middle East. Barriers to e-commerce are economic in nature (inadequate ICT infrastructure
and use, unreliable and costly power supply, limited use of credit cards, lack of purchasing power and
underdeveloped financial systems); sociopolitical (weak legal and regulatory frameworks, cultural
preferences for face-to-face interaction and reliance on cash in society); and cognitive (poor ICT literacy,
50
awareness and knowledge of e-commerce). Interestingly, the same factors can be attributed to the
generally lower uptake of e-payment solutions in the developing world, as the following brief review of
literature illustrates.
Case story 4.Eliminate regulatory bottlenecks to cross-border e-payments in Bangladesh by Ahmad Niaz Murshed, Ice9Interactive
47
Rau, A. (2013). ‘E-payments in emerging markets’.
48
UNCTAD (2015). Information Economy Report 2015: Unlocking the potential of e-commerce for developing countries.
49
UNCTAD (2010). Information Economy Report 2010: ICTs, enterprises and poverty alleviation.
50
Kshetri, N. (2007). ‘Barriers to e-commerce and competitive business models in developing countries: A case study’, Electronic
Commerce Research and Applications 6(4): 443-452.
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Eliminate regulatory bottlenecks to cross-border e-payments in Bangladesh
By Ahmad Niaz Murshed, Ice9Interactive
Ice9Interactive, a Bangladeshi firm specializing in interactive marketing and communication technology
solutions, has to source its intermediate IT inputs abroad, as they are not available at home. Paying its
foreign suppliers is challenging, due to limited domestic payment systems and restrictive regulations
governing cross-border transactions in foreign currencies. Foreign payments for specific business purposes
are made possible through marketing partnerships, but such payments cannot be used for consultants
outside Bangladesh. Relaxing the restrictions is crucial to the development of the local IT industry.
Ice9Interactive offers mobile app development, creative services, augmented reality applications, gesturecontrolled applications and interactive virtual reality-based solutions. It particularly targets the real estate
industry, a field previously unexplored in Bangladesh.
In the product development phase, intermediate IT inputs not available domestically have to be sourced from
foreign countries. We often encounter problems with payment because of the limited payment systems
available in Bangladesh and the restrictive regulations governing cross-border transactions that involve
foreign currencies. All payment instruments and channels are strictly supervised by the Government. In
partnership with Brac Bank, the Bangladesh Association of Software and Information Services (BASIS)
facilitates foreign payments for its members through the issuance of a special credit card. The card can be
used for specific business purposes, such as domain purchase, server hosting and software licence
purchases, as allowed by Bangladesh Bank. Bangladesh Bank has approved the transfer by BASIS member
companies of up to US$ 10,000 a year.
So while most of our online purchases are largely made possible by BASIS credit cards, payments to foreign
consultants and similar cases still pose problems, as the law forbids us from making payments to anyone
outside Bangladesh, let alone establishing a subsidiary abroad. Additionally, only the authorized dealers are
allowed to deal in foreign currencies. The availability of foreign exchange to pay foreign vendors requires the
approval of the Bangladesh Bank. Because of these restrictions, the flow of money into and out of
Bangladesh takes relatively longer than it does elsewhere.
Marketing partnerships provide a workaround to this problem, enabling us to market our products abroad
and avoid the aforementioned payment issues. Such alliances are advantageous for small firms like ours
that lack the financial backing for extensive promotion, as they increase our visibility and help us gain access
to new target markets where our services are most in demand: Europe, Asia and the United States. To solve
the core of the payment problem, the Government should relax the restrictions on online money transfers,
and especially on transfers abroad. This recommendation is crucial to the development of the IT industry, as
there are only a few accepted online methods for purchasing software resources from foreign sources.
Despite the benefits associated with e-payments, a majority of SMEs have generally been slow in adopting
51
the use of e-payment systems. In Indian slums, for example, businesses perceive cash as a more
51
Wanjau Kenneth, R. M. (2012). ‘Factors affecting adoption of electronic commerce among small medium enterprises in Kenya: Survey
of tour and travel firms in Nairobi’,
26
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52
convenient and safer mode of payment. In Ghana, problems with mobile money industries include
53
“connectivity, security, scalability, interoperability, accessibility, and agent training and representation”. In
some cases slow adoption is associated with implementation or regulatory constraints, or with the providers
54
having focused initially on unsophisticated microfinance institutions as partners. The limited trust in online
55
transactions is one of the reasons for the limited use of e-commerce by SMEs.
A study on the adoption of e-payment solutions by SMEs in the Kenyan hotel industry in the town of Kissi,
concludes that the entrepreneur’s background and the ease of use of electronic gadgets were the main
factors behind the adoption of e-payments. The study finds that high speed, convenience of payment and the
low cost of storage facilities also make electronic gadgets easy to use, which in turn encourages the
adoption of e-payments by SMEs in the hotel sector. Speed and comfort are likely to improve the quality of
56
service and save time, both of which would also encourage the use of e-payments. These findings confirm
work by Charles Lee at Stanford Business School showing that the speed of payment and the relatively
lower number of complexities increase the adoption of e-payments. They also confirm work by Stuart and
Cohen (2011), who finds convenience to be a major contributing factor in the adoption of e-payment by
57
SMEs. In other work, Mas and Ngweno (2012) find low storage to be critical to the electronic mode of
58
payments.
Young people adopt e-payment options faster than their elders. The level of education and skills is also a
significant factor, as the operation of electronic tools requires some basic skills and the absence of
59
technology phobia’. Greater adoption of e-payment solutions has thus been observed amongst young
60
entrepreneurs, who are more likely than their older counterparts to take the risks associated with the
61
adoption of e-payments. Higher education has also been found to be critical for the adoption of e-payment
62
63
solutions. Basic IT and ICT skills are also important.
3.
Policy recommendations
Policy advice for increasing SMEs' adoption of e-payment solutions follows directly from the discussion in the
previous section of the bottlenecks to such adoption. Thus, education and training policies for improving the
relevant entrepreneurial skills are likely to improve SME access to e-payment systems. Similarly, public
policy that can encourage innovation, including cheaper and user-friendly e-payment tools, is also likely to
increase the uptake. And government intervention in the form of reduced taxation and tariffs would
significantly reduce the cost of installation and operation of e-payment solutions.
Public policy can also directly target the economic reasons behind the limited recourse to e-payment
solutions in developing countries by investing in ICT infrastructure and producer services, and by developing
financial systems and making them more inclusive.
52
Deepti, K.C. & M. Tiwari (2013). Understanding the movement of cash of the privately led enterprises in Dharavi and scope for
electronic or mobile payments.
53
Mensah, E. C., & Dzokoto, V. (2011). Post redenomination and money management among Ghana’s urban poor.
54
Machaels L. H. (2008). GSMA Development Fund Top 20: Research on the Social and Economic Impact of Mobile Communications
in Developing countries.
55
UNCTAD (2010). Information Economy Report 2010: ICTs, enterprises and poverty alleviation.
56
Sokobe O.E. (2015). ‘Factors influencing adoption of electronic payment by small and medium hotel enterprises in Kisii town, Kissi
county, Kenya’.
57
Stuart, G and Cohen, M. (2011). Cash in, cash out Kenya: The role of M-Pesa in the lives of low-income people.
58
Mas, I., & Ngweno, A. (2012). Why doesn’t every Kenyan business have a mobile money account?
59
Sokobe O.E. (2015). ‘Factors influencing adoption of electronic payment by small and medium hotel enterprises in Kisii town, Kissi
county, Kenya’.
60
Aguiar, M. and E. Hurst (2007). ‘Life-Cycle Prices and Production’.
61
Mann, A. and R. Mann (2011). ‘Debt, Financial Distress, and Bankruptcy over the Life Course’.
62
Ongori, H. & Migiro S.O. (2011). ‘Enhancing SMEs competitiveness: The strategies to resolve barriers to information communication
technologies adopted by SMEs’.
63
InterMedia (2012). Mobile money in Uganda: Use, barriers and opportunities.
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Security is integral to the adoption of e-payment systems. It involves a set of procedures, mechanisms and
computer programmes to authenticate the source of information and guarantee the integrity and privacy of
64
the information (data). Security has three basic building blocks:
x
Encryption: to provide confidentiality, authentication and integrity;
x
Digital signatures: to provide authentication, integrity protection and non-repudiation;
x
Checksums/hash algorithms: to provide integrity and authentication. Public policy therefore also needs
to incentivize the creation of secure e-payment systems. More broadly, State and/or private sector
intervention should also address the regulatory and legal challenges to creating the right enabling
environment for e-payment solutions.
The following threefold action is needed to circumvent some of the cultural factors that militate against the
65
adoption of e-payment solutions:
x
Revise the role of issuers and consumers to hinder security threats;
x
Encourage and promote e-commerce;
x
Reduce and de-incentivize the use of traditional payment methods.
Finally, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) suggests the following policy
66
prescriptions to foster an enabling environment for e-payments:
x
Strengthen the environment for online payments
Governments should create a regulatory environment that is conducive to online payments and the
development of adequate payment solutions. This would include policies to foster payment security,
data encryption and data privacy.
x
Promote the availability of e-commerce solutions
This includes encouraging e-commerce platforms that are tailored to local needs and opportunities. By
way of illustration, foreign investors have contributed greatly to new e-commerce platforms in subSaharan Africa, showing the positive role of FDI, and public policy should incentivize such initiatives.
64
Raja et al. (2008). ‘E-payments: Problems and prospects’.
65
Ibid.
66
UNCTAD (2015). Information Economy Report 2015: Unlocking the potential of e-commerce for developing countries.
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Chapter 3
Cross-border delivery
Establishing
online
business
International
e-payment
Cross-border
delivery
Aftersales
Checklist: Cross-border delivery
Firm-level capabilities
9
9
9
Effective warehouse organization
Secure packaging for delivery of goods
Capacity to handle surges in sales during peak periods
Immediate
business
environment
9
9
Access to postal and express delivery services with tracking ability
Access to warehouses and delivery services at destination
9
Increased transparency on cross-border e-commerce-related customs
procedures and rules on the application of duties and taxes
Application of simplified customs procedures and expedited customs clearance
for small parcels
Increased de minimis threshold for import duty exemption to reduce the burden
on the customs authorities
Mechanisms to ensure freedom and security of cross-border data flows
Increased efficiency for connectivity infrastructure (for delivery of goods: road,
air transport; for delivery of services: encryption technology, Internet bandwidth)
Modernized national postal services to increase efficiency of delivery
9
National environment
9
9
9
9
Cross-border delivery is the single most important aspect of electronic commerce beyond domestic
boundaries, as it can have a major impact on:
•
The final price of the product or service for sale, because transport and delivery costs, as well as
customs duties and other taxes, have the potential to raise the total cost of production considerably
and thus to erode profit margins;
•
Customer satisfaction, because it also affects time and place of delivery as well as product integrity
(e.g. damages occur primarily during delivery), which are among the key aspects that consumers
consider when making an informed decision to purchase online from a foreign supplier;
•
The reputation of cross-border e-commerce transactions, as customers will consider buying online
rather than resorting to traditional forms of commerce only as long as the cost efficiency can be
preserved, the experience is not more time-consuming and the quality of the product can still be
guaranteed.
Cross-border delivery comprises a wide variety of distinctive but strongly interconnected phases that are
usually associated with the transport of goods by sea, road, rail or air (i.e. shipping), the crossing of a border
and the related payment of duties (i.e. customs) and the consignment of the product or service to the end
67
user (i.e. delivery). However, the importance of each of these phases varies according to the object of the
transaction, i.e. whether it involves a good or a service.
67
Lawrence, J. E. and Tar, U. A. (2010), Barriers to E-commerce in Developing Countries, Information, Society and Justice.
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1.
Delivering goods across borders
1.1. Products fit for cross-border e-commerce
In order to understand how delivering goods occurs in practice when a company engages in cross-border
electronic commerce, it is necessary to first describe the type of goods that are most commonly sold via
electronic means. Indeed, not all goods are suitable for e-commerce, and even less for cross-border ecommerce.
Online tradable goods tend to share certain characteristics:
•
Size
Delivery costs depend, among others, on the size of the item that is shipped. The larger the good, the
more costly and complicated the delivery. From a cost-efficiency perspective, businesses that sell
small- or medium-sized goods are a better fit for e-commerce than companies that specialize in much
more sizeable goods, as smaller products are usually easier and quicker to transport abroad (i.e. by
road or by air, which are generally less time-consuming than by sea). Smaller goods are also more
suitable for delivery via post, which is the main distribution channel used by developing countries to
deliver goods both domestically and internationally. CDs, books, small appliances, computers and
mobile phones best exemplify the type of good that is usually delivered cross-border through ecommerce.
•
Price
Goods that can be successfully traded online tend to be made available at a competitive price that
allows for making a profit and guarantees transactions of high value. Selling goods online is usually
not a viable option when the profit margin is negligible, or when the costs of production and shipping
far exceed the price. Besides shipping costs, customs duties are also relevant to the pricing of goods
sold online across borders, although some countries may exempt the payment of customs duties or
additional taxes in specified countries for products whose total value remains below a certain
threshold. For example, Swiss customs authorities do not levy duty and value added tax (VAT) if the
amount due does not exceed CHF 5 per customs declaration. They also do not levy taxes on
consignments with a value of up to CHF 62, including shipping costs, customs clearance, insurance,
68
customs duties, etc. (at a VAT rate of 8%) or CHF 200 (at a VAT rate of 2.5%).
•
Specificity
Goods most commonly traded online across borders are often typical or specific to a certain location
and generally not available everywhere. For example, for small manufacturers of traditional African
handicrafts, the Internet provides an opportunity to access both the African diaspora and foreign
69
consumers more generally. Such are the cases of eshopAfrica.com (Ghana), SkinnylaMinx (South
Africa) and Botswana Craft (Botswana), e-commerce firms specialized in selling African arts and crafts
primarily to the North American and European markets.
1.2. Shipping, clearing customs and delivery: a multistep process
In e-commerce, cross-border delivery refers to all the activities that take place from the moment a customer
makes an online payment for a good to the moment the product is finally in his or her hands. These activities
can roughly be summarized as follows:
68
Swiss Customs Administration (2016). Courier by post, online shopping, mail-order company.
69
Toland, J. (2007). E-Commerce in Developing Countries, in Global Information Technologies: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools and
Applications.
30
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x
STEP 1. Warehouse product identification
In the supplier’s warehouse, the product(s) bought online must be found, identified and prepared for
delivery. The structure and organization of the warehouse must be such as to guarantee that the
operation runs smoothly, efficiently, and in a timely and rapid manner, to avoid delays and product
misidentification. All identified products must correspond in all aspects (e.g. size, quantity, colour,
series, type) to those indicated in the online order. Access to key warehousing technologies, such as
scanning devices, inventory software, warehouse management systems and advanced picking
systems, can be crucial to e-traders’ competitiveness, both domestically and internationally.
x
STEP 2. Secure packaging for delivery of goods
Once production identification has taken place, the supplier (or the shipper) must proceed with
packaging the product(s) for safe transport, to ensure that it remains intact during shipping and
delivery. For example, fragile items like glass should be covered in bubble wrap before being placed
into boxes. Again, the more organized, structured and efficient this phase of the process, the faster
and timelier cross-border delivery can be.
x
STEP 3. Transport and shipping
From the supplier’s warehouse the shipper must then transport the package or parcel via the most
cost-efficient route (e.g. road, air, rail or sea) to the shipper’s warehouse in the country of destination.
Clearly, e-commerce operators must be able to count on an efficient, solid and extensive
infrastructure, possibly allowing for multimodal transportation, both within and outside national
70
borders, in order for cross-border delivery to be cheap and fast. Indeed, poor road maintenance,
limited mileage of paved roads or inadequate airport facilities can make transport and shipping more
costly and time-consuming. But the quantity, quality and age of the means of transport available to
shippers – including trucks, airplanes and trains – can also affect the cost and timing of delivery. For
example, newer trucks generally require less maintenance than older ones, as in theory they have
better-functioning and more efficient engines and are thus less likely to break down and cause delays
in delivery.
x
STEP 4. Crossing the border and customs procedures
International e-commerce transactions differ from domestic online business dealings insofar as
crossing a border implies a passage through customs, the government entity responsible for the
collection of tariffs or other duties and the regulation of merchandise flows. Authorization to cross the
border is granted only after customs clearance, which requires the shipper to execute all customs
procedures, including payment of customs duties and other taxes and, in some circumstances,
customs inspections. Customs are a particularly critical aspect of logistics because they can have a
remarkable impact on the cost and timing of a transaction, going far beyond the simple collection of a
tariff or duty. The simpler, more transparent and clearer customs procedures are, the less time it takes
goods to clear customs.
x
STEP 5. Delivery to end user
The last leg of the process concerns the transport of the purchased product(s) from the shipper’s
warehouse to the final destination, i.e. the address of the end user – which for B2C e-commerce
transactions is usually the home address. For cross-border e-commerce, the most common forms of
delivery are postal or parcel delivery, express mail, private package delivery services and truckload
shipping. Properly written and easily traceable street names, access to postal and express delivery
services with tracking ability and modernization of national postal services, can be crucial to ensuring
efficient, cheap and timely delivery of goods to end users.
70
Lawrence, J. E. and Tar, U. A. (2010), op. cit.
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1.3. Bottlenecks in cross-border delivery process
Compared to the domestic realm, international e-commerce logistics is more expensive, convoluted and
time-consuming because it requires firms to determine the most cost-efficient delivery and warehousing
solutions, incorporate shipping information into their website, and manage delays, damages and return
71
policies.
Given its complexity, cross-border delivery is rather prone to obstacles and complications. Indeed, at any
given point on the logistics chain e-traders, especially from developing countries, are likely to face
bottlenecks and problems that, if not properly addressed, can have a significant impact on the cost of crossborder e-commerce transactions and the timing of delivery of purchased goods, which may in turn negatively
affect the overall reputation of e-commerce as a trustworthy and valuable trading mechanism.
The most prominent obstacles to be overcome by e-commerce operators from developing countries are:
x
Customs: procedural and tariff issues
Burdensome customs procedures
E-traders are often confronted with complicated and overly burdensome customs procedures
(e.g. excessive documentation to be produced for the customs authorities, mandatory customs
inspections) that can potentially cause delays and translate into additional costs, which are
72
particularly detrimental to small businesses, in light of their high sensitivity to cost fluctuations.
Lack of adequate information on customs procedures
Customs and VAT administration rules can differ greatly from country to country, a variation that
affects the ability of e-traders to understand and determine all the paperwork required, estimate
73
the time for clearance and calculate all duties and taxes. It is a problem that affects the cost
and timing of delivery, as well as customer relations. Indeed, a lack of adequate information on
customs procedures and duties can lead e-traders to misinform customers, for example by not
taking into account sales tax or import duties, a mistake that can lead to costly return shipments
74
or even a loss of business.
Tariffs
Tariffs themselves can pose a major barrier to cross-border e-commerce, especially for
businesses operating in developing countries, because they contribute to raising the final price
75
of the goods sold by e-traders, thus potentially reducing their competitiveness. This is
particularly true for countries that have a relatively low de minimis threshold for import duty
exemption.
Corruption
Sometimes customs authorities will ask for a bribe to allow or speed up customs clearance, an
illegal act that can have a profoundly negative impact on both the cost and timing of delivery.
76
Small businesses are especially vulnerable to this problem.
71
U.S. Postal Service (2015). Cross-Border E-Commerce: An International Roundtable Recap.
72
National Board of Trade (2012). E-Commerce: New Opportunities, New Barriers: A survey of e-commerce barriers in countries
outside the EU.
73
U.S. Postal Service (2015). Cross-Border E-Commerce: An International Roundtable Recap.
74
International Trade Centre (2015). International E-Commerce in Africa: The Way Forward, ITC, Geneva.
75
National Board of Trade (2012). E-Commerce- New Opportunities, New Barriers: A survey of e-commerce barriers in countries
outside the EU.
76
Ibid.
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Box 3.
Tax policies
Among the most significant e-commerce-related laws and regulations are tax policies, whose relevance mostly
depends on the large revenues being generated through electronic commerce.
The additional costs and administrative issues associated with differences in tax regulations can have adverse
effects on cross-border e-commerce development and competitiveness. For example, a lack of clarity about
VAT registration requirements and about where VAT should be accounted for carries the heaviest burden for etraders, a legal uncertainty that derives from the traditional tax policy approach based on establishment. Ecommerce permits companies to conduct worldwide activities without any physical presence in foreign markets,
but international tax principles have traditionally emphasized the need for a physical presence within foreign
markets before foreign governments are permitted to tax cross-border transactions taking place within their
borders.
The vast majority of the 1,500 treaties governing the tax treatment of international business activity stipulate that
governments will not be able to tax foreign businesses unless the businesses employ a “permanent
establishment” within the source country. As a result of this traditional tax policy approach, developing countries
and other net e-commerce-importing nations suffer tax revenue losses, precluding them from taxing profits
derived from business activities that have no physical presence within their jurisdictions. By weakening the
traditional tax policy concept that allocates tax claims based on physical presence, e-commerce raises concerns
about where to tax non-resident e-commerce businesses, how to assess intragroup transactions, how to classify
digital goods, how to identify taxpayers, and where and how to collect consumption tax, as well as issues of
enforcement.
The business community and governments alike have tried to address e-commerce-related tax policy issues. A
significant number of companies bypassed establishment requirements by hiring a local representative, although
that meant incurring additional costs with a potential erosion effect on their competitiveness. Governments, on
the other hand, have approached the issue in one of two ways: (a) the creation of tax-sharing mechanisms that
encourage importing nations to cooperate with exporting nations to ensure the elimination of international double
taxation and to promote investments in telecommunications infrastructure; or (b) the establishment of
consumption taxation of cross-border e-commerce, based on the principle that the country where the
consumption takes place has tax jurisdiction. This approach, however, raises practical difficulties in ensuring
collection of consumption taxes on cross-border B2C transactions of electronic services and intangible products.
Sources:
Mann, Catherine L. (2000), Electronic Commerce in Developing Countries, Institute for International Economics.
National Board of Trade (2012), E-Commerce: New Opportunities, New Barriers.
Cockfield, Arthur J. (2011), Tax Policy, Electronic Commerce, and Developing Countries.
UNCTAD (2015), Information Economy Report 2015: Unlocking the Potential of E-Commerce for Developing Countries.
x
Transport and infrastructural deficiencies
Lack of adequate infrastructure
The poorer the conditions of roads, airports, railways and ports, the more difficult transport is,
and the longer it takes for goods to reach their destination. The lack of adequate infrastructure
is a problem that concerns primarily developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs)
because, although there are examples of developing countries whose overall physical
th
th
infrastructure is rated relatively highly (e.g. Malaysia and Sri Lanka rank 16 and 26 ,
respectively, in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2015-2016),
77
developing countries in general still lag behind their developed counterparts on infrastructure.
77
International Trade Centre (2015). International E-Commerce in Africa: The Way Forward.
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BRINGING SMEs ONTO THE E-COMMERCE HIGHWAY
Lack of efficient transport services
A good number of developing and least developed countries do not provide adequate road, rail
or maritime transport services, thus forcing e-traders to rely primarily on air freight, which can be
particularly expensive when the target market (e.g. Europe or the United States) is quite far
78
away.
x
Delivery: inefficiencies and regulatory concerns
Lack of access to modern delivery services
A number of e-traders, especially from developing countries, do not have access to ecommerce platforms, such as Amazon Fulfilment Services, that handle stocks of goods, do
picking and packing, and negotiate the best rates with local transporters. They are forced to rely
79
instead on old and inefficient postal services.
Inadequate street names
In a number of developing countries, especially in Africa and Oceania, streets are not properly
named and signage is sketchy, thus compromising the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of
delivery.
Differences in local legislation
E-traders, especially from developing countries, may struggle with the plethora of differences in
service, standards and labelling in different countries, resulting in high costs and long time-to80
market for merchants wanting to implement new carriers. In addition, consumer spending in
target markets may not suffice to offset all the costs incurred and the time spent to deal with
81
each individual market’s separate requirements for contracts, deals and localizations.
Problematic reverse logistics
Implementing return policies can be very burdensome, complicated and costly, especially for
small volumes.
1.4. Facilitating cross-border e-commerce delivery
The vast majority of bottlenecks and issues that e-traders face during the cross-border delivery phase of the
e-commerce process chain relate to the speed, timing and ease with which goods purchased online are
shipped and delivered across borders. Overcoming these hurdles, therefore, means finding solutions – at
firm, institutional and national level – that would make it possible to:
x
Move products faster;
x
Improve overall logistics; and
x
Help ensure a smoother, easier, less burdensome logistics process.
In order to do so, government intervention would have to focus on the two most critical issues in crossborder delivery: infrastructural deficiencies and a convoluted and burdensome regulatory environment.
78
International Trade Centre (2015). International E-Commerce in Africa: The Way Forward.
79
Ibid.
80
E-commerce Europe (2015). e-Logistics: A need for Integrated European Solutions.
81
Russell, J. (2013). Thailand’s top tech entrepreneurs aim to fix Southeast Asia’s e-commerce ‘bottleneck’.
34
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Addressing infrastructural deficiencies
Since cross-border delivery is strongly correlated with the quality and efficiency of its infrastructure system,
policy action is required whenever infrastructural deficiencies contribute to increasing costs or time for
international shipping and delivery, or affect logistics capacity in general. Infrastructural shortcomings
affecting cross-border e-commerce are especially common in the vast majority of developing countries.
In order to reduce international shipping fares, minimize delays and improve overall cross-border delivery
performance, firms, institutions and governments must take all the necessary steps to ensure that: (a)
transport infrastructure is reliable, of adequate quality and guarantees efficient connectivity; (b) e-traders
make use of high-performing technology for logistics; and (c) delivery services are efficient.
x
Transport infrastructure
Increased efficiency for connectivity infrastructure
By developing greater terrestrial and air connectivity, improving road and railway conditions,
and promoting the upgrade of infrastructural facilities, governments would be able to enhance
the quality of transport infrastructure, increase its reliability and boost its efficiency. For
example, adding greater road mileage or improving road maintenance could help reduce traffic
and delays in transport, with a potentially positive effect on the ability of e-traders and shippers
to move products quickly across borders.
Since pursuing this course of action requires substantial financial resources, which are often lacking in
countries that commonly struggle with infrastructural problems (i.e. developing countries and LDCs),
attracting FDI can be instrumental to increasing the efficiency of connectivity infrastructure.
Box 4.
Addressing infrastructural deficiencies at firm level
Addressing market failures, combating information asymmetries and providing public goods are among the most
common reasons behind government intervention, with infrastructure falling within the public good category. Still,
due to regulatory, administrative or financial constraints, governments are not always able to intervene efficiently,
adequately or promptly. When this is the case, creative solutions may emerge at firm level.
Nigerian company Jumia offers a very informative example of an e-commerce provider that attempted to
circumvent inadequate infrastructure conditions by creating its own logistics infrastructure. Established in 2012,
Jumlia is Nigeria's no. 1 online retailer, with a presence in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya,
Morocco, Uganda, and United Republic of Tanzania. Because of Nigeria’s poor infrastructural conditions the
company relies on more than 500 of its own motorbikes and trucks to deliver to customers in the country’s eight
largest cities.
Source:
www.jumia.com.ng
International Trade Centre (2015), International E-Commerce in Africa: The Way Forward, ITC, Geneva.
.
Improved transport services
Improving infrastructure itself, however, may not suffice to support cross-border delivery if
shippers rely on trucks, planes or other vehicles that require constant maintenance due to old
age, deteriorated engines, worn-out tyres and the like. The older the vehicles, the lower their
speed and the more often maintenance is required. This in turn leads to longer shipping and
delivery times, making shippers less likely to offer e-traders a reasonable charge for
international shipping and delivery. By proposing incentives to shippers to renovate their auto
and airline fleets, governments could offer a viable solution to this problem, although it is a
strategy that might put additional strain on the already-meagre government resources available
to many developing and least developed countries. Once again, therefore, attracting FDI could
be of great importance in improving the conditions of shipping and delivery transport services.
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x
Technology and organization
Besides being instrumental in cutting the time and costs of international shipping and delivery, greater
access to adequate and modern logistics-related technology and a more efficient warehousing organization
could help improve customer relations, helping to reduce the incidence of damaged goods during transport
and mistakes in product delivery.
Secure packaging for delivery of goods
Goods change hands frequently and are likely to be transported in a variety of vehicles during
cross-border delivery. This means it may be unrealistic, and ultimately beyond the e-trader’s
control, to rely on products being handled with care all along the transport chain. But ensuring
proper packaging for delivery of goods is within the control of firms that engage in cross-border
e-commerce, and is the simplest and most secure way to limit damages to goods in the delivery
process. However, lack of adequate technology and poor warehousing organization can
compromise the ability to properly package goods for transport. E-traders should therefore aim
at upgrading existing technology and optimizing logistics solutions, for example by acquiring
access to electronic commerce-enabled storage and handling services, such as Fulfilment by
Amazon.
Box 5.
Fulfilment by Amazon
Fulfilment by Amazon offers package services including warehousing, delivery and, in a number of cases,
customs clearance as well. It can help SMEs scale up their business and reach more customers globally, since
these e-commerce platforms such as Fulfilment by Amazon and eBay allow sellers to store their products in
warehouse centres around the world, with those sellers then responsible for picking, packing and shipping the
products and providing customer services. However, merchants from developing countries are often unable to
register on these types of e-commerce platforms (India being one of the few exceptions).
Source: Amazon.
Capacity to handle surges in sales during peak periods
But access to new and modern technology, and better warehouse management systems, can
also be instrumental in improving e-traders’ capacity to handle surges in sales during peak
periods. Suppliers with little or no international experience may be unprepared to handle
unexpected or unfamiliar periods of increased demand that can result from accessing new
markets through electronic commerce, leaving them prone to two problems: a potentially higher
probability of making mistakes with the orders and the preparation of packages for delivery, and
wasting precious time sorting through and handling products in the warehouse. Firms that adopt
inventory mechanisms specifically designed to accommodate periods of peak demand (e.g.
placing the promotional inventory near the packing station), that re-organize warehouse
management and staff to handle everyday and peak demand separately, and that improve
overall warehouse technology (e.g. data scanning, conveyor belts, picking mechanisms) have
an advantage over e-traders who rely on more traditional warehouse management systems.
x
Delivery services
Modernized national postal services for increased efficiency of delivery
In many developing countries, e-traders rely almost exclusively on postal services to deliver
products cross-border. Especially for SMEs that are unable to build their own distribution
networks, the international postal network provides a cost-effective way of engaging in global e82
commerce. However, in some regions (e.g. Africa) postal services lack efficiency and
82
International Trade Centre (2015). International E-Commerce in Africa: The Way Forward, ITC, Geneva.
36
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83
reliability, undermining their ability to support cross-border e-commerce. In these countries,
therefore, governments should promote the modernization of postal services in order for crossborder e-commerce to develop, a modernization that requires ICTs (to modernize and diversify
postal products) and infrastructural adaptations (to guarantee availability of electricity and
84
Internet connections).
Improving street naming
In order to reduce delays in delivery and ensure that products purchased online reach their
exact final destinations, consumers must provide a correct address. This may prove difficult in a
number of countries, especially in Africa and Oceania, where street names are often inadequate
85
if not missing entirely. Improving the identification of locations, parcels, properties and
dwellings can thus contribute significantly to moving products faster and to better cross-border
delivery overall. Although the modernization of the postal service can in itself act as an incentive
for making mailing addresses more precise, specific schemes for improving street naming could
also provide useful. One such scheme is already being implemented in Ghana, and involves
86
designating street names and assigning a street number to every property.
Improving the regulatory environment
x
Transparency
Increased transparency in cross-border e-commerce-related customs procedures and rules on
the application of duties and taxes
Policymakers at the national level should work first and foremost on securing greater and more
pervasive transparency in e-commerce-related customs procedures, taxes and duties. Ensuring
that businesses have clear advance knowledge of the full costs of international door-to-door
shipping; applicable VAT charges and customs duties; and required export documents and
procedures would benefit e-commerce operators in a variety of ways.
First of all, this would help reduce the risk of e-traders incurring unexpected costs – often a
major concern for small businesses with limited financial resources, and which are generally
more sensitive to cost variations. Second, greater transparency in customs-related
documentation and procedures would allow e-traders to better anticipate potential delays and,
consequently, predict the timing of delivery more accurately.
Third, policy actions that address transparency issues can have a profound and positive effect
on customer relations. Indeed, since both the cost of online transactions and the delivery date
play a key role in consumers’ decisions to purchase goods online, the more precise the
information provided to them by retailers, the more consumers will trust e-commerce operators
and online transactions in general. This will in turn encourage more potential exporters to adopt
e-commerce as a means of cross-border trade.
The European Commission’s recent focus on improving EU regulations and ensuring greater
transparency in the parcel delivery process shows that developed countries are also confronted
with lack of transparency and inconvenience of cross-border delivery of products purchased
online. The EU approach to regulatory transparency provides some guidance for developing
87
countries on potential government intervention in this area.
83
Defoundoux, C. (2015). Union Panafricaine des Postes: Mid Term Assessment of the Doha Postal Strategy Implementation.
84
Ibid.
85
International Trade Centre (2015). International E-Commerce in Africa: The Way Forward.
86
Ghana Ministry of Land and Natural Resources (2016, May 1). Street Naming.
87
European Commission (2015). Cheaper cross-border parcel delivery to boost e-commerce in the EU, Growth –International Market,
Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs.
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BRINGING SMEs ONTO THE E-COMMERCE HIGHWAY
x
Reduced administrative red tape
Reduce the risk of corruption
In regulatory environments where special rules and tariff exemptions give individual officials
significant discretion over duty collection, red tape is considerable and information regarding
processes and procedures is lacking, abuse by public officials finds fertile ground. In order to
fight corruption within customs authorities, which weighs heavily on the ability of goods to be
delivered across borders efficiently, cheaply and quickly, government should focus on
promoting digitalization of customs duties and tariffs (e-governance); increasing the
transparency of regulations and customs procedures; and adopting confirmation-of-origin
policies whereby central customs agencies, rather than low-level customs staff, are responsible
88
for verifying and auditing the origin and purpose of imports and exports.
x
Simplified customs procedures
Application of simplified customs procedures and expedited customs clearance for small parcels
Greater regulatory transparency may not suffice to support small businesses from developing
countries in their quest to export goods via electronic means if their limited financial and human
resources are drained by overly complicated customs procedures.
Hence, policy intervention in the form of simplified customs procedures may be warranted
whenever the length and implementation of border clearance operations impinges on the time
and cost of e-commerce transactions. Simplifying custom procedures would require
governments to tackle the legal content of rules and regulations as well as unintended effects of
its application, such as corruption and illegal conduct of customs authority representatives.
1.5. Best practice: expedited customs, higher de minimis threshold
Customs procedures can be facilitated by (i) exempting imports from duties and taxes, and (ii) simplifying the
procedures themselves. The former is referred to as “de minimis”, which is a valuation ceiling for goods,
including documents and trade samples, below which no duty or tax will be levied, and clearance procedures
including data requirements, are minimal. Historically, the de minimis threshold for duty-free shipments
(mainly air cargo) is intended to achieve a balance between the costs of assessing and collecting customs
89
duty and the revenue raised. A list of the most recent information on de minimis value and entry threshold
can be found in Appendix I.
With e-commerce generating ever-greater numbers of low-value shipments, the provision of de minimis
value is vital, as it facilitates the importation of goods into a country. High de minimis exemptions might
reduce government revenue, but would also generate great economic benefits, especially for SMEs,
including those SMEs which export through e-commerce. In some cases, the benefits and savings derived
from raising the de minimis value are greater than the loss of revenue, which implies that there is a net gain
from raising the de minimis threshold.
High de minimis thresholds benefit businesses by cutting overall compliance costs. They benefit shipping
90
firms by reducing handling costs and enabling faster delivery. They benefit all custom agencies by reducing
paperwork and freeing up resources to deal with more important security and product safety issues, hence
increasing the agency’s productivity. The time and money saved by high de minimis thresholds reduces
barriers to trade, and the reduction of problems at the border encourages the growth of e-commerce. Many
SMEs find it difficult to access the international market, partly because they are deterred by lengthy customs
procedures or high compliance costs, which may well exceed the value of the shipment itself. Expedited
customs procedures for low-value shipments would open up opportunities for SMEs looking beyond their
88
89
90
Ardigo, A. I. (2014). Corruption in tax and Customs Authorities, Anti-Corruption Helpdesk.
International Chamber of Commerce (2012). ICC Customs Guidelines Policy Statement Document No. 103-6/12.
Hufbauer, G. C., & Wong, Y. (2011). Logistics Reform for Low-Value Shipments.
38
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national borders. Table 7 lists a few country examples of expedited custom procedures which include
exemption or reduction in custom duty, VAT and other fees.
Table 7.
List of expedited customs procedures by country
Country
Customs procedure
References
CUSTOMS DUTY:
The importation of goods through the mail, including purchases
through the Internet, is subject to a special regime (with the
exception of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products).
The regime applies to imports of up to US$ 3,000 that are
subject to 60% import duties on the invoice price, including
transportation and insurance costs. Goods transported by
international courier are also subject to an 18% services and
91
merchandise circulation tax.
Imports up to a value of US$ 50, including medicines, books,
journals and newspapers, are exempt from duties.
When the value of the imported goods does not exceed US$
500, a simplified tax note is used to pay the customs duties; if
the value exceeds US$ 500, a simplified import declaration form
must be filled in.
Trade Policy Review Brazil.
WT/TPR/S/140-WTO
www.wto.org/english/tratop_
e/tpr_e/s140-3_e.doc
Brazil
China
CUSTOMS DUTY:
Articles with import duties of less than CNY 50.00 (approx. US$
7) are exempt from duties. This includes samples and advertising
articles valued at CNY 400 that were previously duty-free.
General tariff rates apply to imports originating in countries with
which the People's Republic of China has not concluded any
agreements or treaties, and to imports whose places of origin are
not known. General tariff rates for importation range from 0% and
8% to 270%, with over 20 different rates. Preferential tariff rates
vary from 0% and 1% to 121.6%, with over 50 different rates.
Lowered duty rates include: Most favoured nation duty rates,
conventional duty rates, special preferential duty rates, tariff
quota rates and temporary duty rates.
Tariff schedule:
www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/merchandise_pf_table_0
.pdf .
VAT:
There are two types of VAT payers: general VAT payers and smallscale VAT payers. Small-scale VAT payers are entities engaged in
manufacturing or that provide processing, repair and replacement
services with sales not exceeding RMB 0.5 million per year, and
firms engaged in wholesale or retail trade with sales not exceeding
RMB 0.8 million per year. The VAT rate for a general VAT payer is
17% and is applied on importation of goods into China. A lower
rate of 13% applies primarily to essential goods such as books,
newspapers and tap water. A 3% VAT rate is applicable to smallscale taxpayers and certain supplies, such as tap water, specific
construction materials and specific biological products.
EU
91
CUSTOMS DUTY:
A customs declaration must be submitted to customs officers who
determine, impose and collect customs duties that are due.
Customs duty is calculated as a percentage of the customs value of
the goods, depending on the type of goods.
Goods with a value equal to or less than EUR 150 are exempt
from customs duty. The exemption does not apply to perfumes
DHL Express in China
Overview and China
Customs regulations. DHL
www.iesingapore.gov.sg/~/
media/IE%20Singapore/File
s/Events/iAdvisory%20Serie
s/China/3_Exporting_into_C
hina_DHL.pdf
A guide to China Import
Customs. DHL
www.dhl.ie/content/dam/dow
nloads/gb/express/customs_
regulations_china/import_gu
idelines_to_china.pdf
Taxation and Investment in
China 2015 Reach,
Relevance and ReliabilityDeloitte
www2.deloitte.com/content/
dam/Deloitte/global/Docume
nts/Tax/dttl-tax-chinaguide2015.pdf
Ministry of Economy and
Industry of Israel: Foreign
Trade Administration
http://itrade.gov.il/chinaen/2013/11/12/importexport-taxes-duties-china/
European Commission
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_
customs/common/buying_on
line/buying_goods/within_no
n_eu_en.htm
EUR-Lex : Access to
European Union Law
The services and merchandise circulation tax (ICMS) is a value-added tax applicable at the state level, usually 18% for imports.
OCE-16-13.E
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BRINGING SMEs ONTO THE E-COMMERCE HIGHWAY
and toilet waters, tobacco or tobacco products, or alcoholic
products.
Tariff schedules:
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/dds2/taric/taric_consultation.j
sp?Lang=en .
VAT:
The import VAT is calculated as a percentage of the taxable
amount, which is made up of the customs value plus the duty paid
and the transportation and insurance costs up to the first place of
destination within the EU.
Goods having a total value below a threshold are granted an
exemption from VAT, with the exception of certain products
such as tobacco products and alcoholic products. The
threshold varies between EUR 10 and EUR 22, depending on the
EU country. Some countries, however, exclude mail orders from the
exemption.
A commercial shipment valued between EUR 22 and EUR 150 is
duty-free, but VAT is collected on it.
CUSTOMS DUTY:
If shipped by international postal services, packages whose
declared value is under US$ 200 will generally be cleared
without any additional paperwork prepared by CBP.
A good valued between US$ 200 and US$ 800 is classified as
“informal entry”, requiring only the submission of a simplified
reporting form .
The Low Value Shipment Regulatory Modernization Act of 2015
sought to increase the de minimis exemption level on imported
items to US$ 800. The bill has not been passed. If the item’s value
is less than US$ 2,000 and more than US$ 200, a CBP official will
usually prepare the paperwork for importing it, assess the proper
duty and release it for delivery. If the item's value is more than US$
2,000, it may be held at the mail facility until a formal entry is
arranged.
Tariff schedules:
http://export.gov/fta/ftatarifftool/TariffSearch.aspx .
United
States
VAT:
There is currently no federal VAT in the United States on
goods or services. A sales and use tax is common in most United
States states, and some imported goods may be subject to state
taxes, but CBP does not collect taxes on behalf of the state. It
collects federal taxes and fees on behalf of other federal agencies
and under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act
(COBRA).
http://eurlex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELE
X:32009L0132
Europa.eu : Your Europe
http://europa.eu/youreurope/
business/vatcustoms/exciseduty/index_en.htm
KPMG
www.kpmg.com/us/en/issue
sandinsights/articlespublicati
ons/taxnewsflash/pages/201
5-1/kpmg-report-q-and-a-onproposal-to-increase-deminimis-threshold-for-lowvalue-imports.aspx
U.S CBP
https://help.cbp.gov/app/ans
wers/detail/a_id/810/~/othertaxes-or-fees-required-toimport-goods-into-the-u.s.,other-than-duty
USER FEES:
In addition to duty and possible excise tax, goods imported into the
United States are subject to user fees. The amount of user fee
collected by CBP depends on the type of entry and mode of
transportation used for the imports. For instance, formal and
informal entries are subject to a merchandise processing fee
(MPF).
Certain goods that enter the United States under a free trade
agreement or trade preference programme may also be exempt
from paying the MPF.
MPF exemptions:
www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/merchandise_pf_table_0
.pdf
40
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India
CUSTOMS DUTY:
Customs duty is levied on imported goods. Exemptions for
special economic zones, preferential or developing countries
are listed here:
www.cbec.gov.in/htdocs-cbec/customs/cs-tariff2015-16/cst2015-16idx.
Bona fide gifts up to a value limit of Rs.10,000/-, imported by post,
are exempt from customs duties.
For example, goods manufactured in Nepal that are made wholly
from Nepalese materials are free of customs duty.
VAT:
Import of goods into India is not subject to VAT. Rendition of
services is also not subject to VAT, as services are governed
at a federal level by an independent legislation – that is,
service tax. The sale of movable goods in India is chargeable to
tax at the central or state level. VAT is generally charged at
standard rates, namely 4–5% or 12.5–15%, depending on the
nature of goods. The categories of goods eligible for exemption and
subject to VAT at 4–5%, 12.5–14.5%, or higher rates vary across
states. Books are exempt from VAT.
Japan
CUSTOMS DUTY:
Japan maintains a de minimis level of JPY 10,000. Goods with a
total customs value of JPY 10,000 or less are exempt from
customs duty and consumption tax.
When the total customs value of commercially imported goods
is 200,000 yen or less per importation, the simplified tariff
schedule is applicable (e.g. wine: 70 yen/l, coffee: 15%, rubber:
free). These duty rates do not include consumption tax or other
internal taxes. Consumption tax is imposed at the rate of 8% on, in
general, all goods imported into or manufactured in Japan.
Temporary rates are laid down for certain kinds of goods
under the Temporary Tariff Measures Law and are applicable
for a certain period of time, in place of general rates. They are
lower or higher than general rates depending on the
circumstances or products.
Preferential rates are applicable to goods originating in
designated developing countries.
Economic partnership agreement rates are applicable to goods
originating in Singapore, Malaysia and Mexico.
World Trade Organization (WTO) rates are applicable to certain
countries with which Japan has concluded bilateral
agreements to grant most favoured nation treatment, even
though they are not Members of the WTO.
Tariff schedule:
www.kanzei.or.jp/english/book/ebook.htm.
Avalara VATlive¨
www.vatlive.com/global-vatgst/india/indian-vat/
British Chamber of
Commerce in partnership
with DHL
www.britishchambers.org.uk
/Q2%2015%20BCC%20QIT
O%20FINAL.pdf
KPMG
www.kpmg.com/Global/en/s
ervices/Tax/GlobalIndirectTa
x/Documents/vat-gstessentials-2012/india-vat2011-vat-gst-essentials.pdf
Japan Customs
www.customs.go.jp/english/
canswer_e/imtsukan/1006_e.
htm
www.customs.go.jp/english/
summary/tariff.htm
CONSUMPTION TAX (VAT equivalent):
Consumption tax is imposed at the rate of 8% on, in general, all
goods imported into or manufactured in Japan.
Goods are exempt from consumption tax when the sum of the
value of the goods, shipping and insurance cost does not
exceed JPY 10,000, or when the amount of consumption tax
payable does not exceed JPY 100.
The duty and consumption tax exemption does not apply to imports
of the following products: leather goods, leather footwear, and
knitted apparel.
Canada
OCE-16-13.E
CUSTOMS DUTY:
Duty rates in Canada range from 0% to 35%, with an average rate
Justice Laws websiteGovernment of Canada
41
BRINGING SMEs ONTO THE E-COMMERCE HIGHWAY
of 8.56%. Some goods are not subject to duty (e.g. certain
electronic products, antiques, etc.). Goods are exempt from
duty if their free on board (FOB) value – i.e. the value of goods
excluding shipping and insurance – is less than CAN$ 20.
Goods originating from most favoured nation (MFN)
beneficiary countries use the MFN rate of duty. Preferential
tariffs are reduced rates of duty for goods based on trade
agreements or rates of duty based on special tariff provisions.
Tariff schedules:
www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/trade-commerce/tariff-tarif/2014/html/tblmodeng.html.
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/
regulations/SI-85-181/page1.html
Canada Border Services
Agency
www.cbsaasfc.gc.ca/import/postalpostale/duty-droits-eng.html
TAXES:
If the FOB value of the item is worth less than CAN$ 20, goods
and services tax (GST), harmonized sales tax (HST) and
provincial sales tax (PST) are not charged.
Some Items do not qualify for the CAN$ 20 exemption, e.g.
tobacco, books and alcoholic beverages.
POST CHARGES:
To process goods imported as mail that are subject to duty and/or
tax, Canada Post charges the recipient CAN$ 9.95. If the item is
duty-free and tax-exempt, no amount is charged.
2.
Delivering services across borders
2.1. Differences between goods and services trade
The substantial differences between goods and services have major implications for the way they are
handled in cross-border e-commerce. First of all, they are non-storable and non-perishable, which means
that supply and consumption generally occur simultaneously (e.g. a hairdresser giving a haircut). It also
means that no warehousing system is required for services to be supplied online, either domestically or
cross-border.
But services are also intangible and invisible, since they have no specific form that can be touched or seen
(e.g. a person can physically handle a computer – a good – but cannot do the same with a data processing
service provided on that computer). These characteristics are of great significance for cross-border delivery:
services supplied electronically never cross borders. Therefore, unlike goods purchased online, services
offered across borders through e-commerce are not subject to customs duties or procedures.
The General Agreement for Trade in Services (GATS) lists four different modes of supply of services: crossborder trade, consumption abroad, establishment of a commercial presence and movement of natural
persons.
In theory, all services can be supplied through all four modes of supply, via traditional commerce. However,
when services suppliers engage in cross-border electronic commerce, either of the following two scenarios
applies:
x
Services that were already provided under modes 1 and 2 (e.g. via post or telephone) continue to be
supplied through cross-border trade and consumption abroad, but via electronic means (e.g. the
Internet). This does not apply to services that require simultaneous physical presence of consumer
and supplier in the same location (e.g. when a dentist performs a root canal procedure on a patient).
x
Services previously supplied via commercial presence or movement of natural persons are provided
via modes 1 or 2.
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The second scenario has important implications for cross-border delivery of services, because resorting to
cross-border e-commerce would drastically reduce transport costs since the supplier would no longer have to
pay for travel fees. An example is managers or staff who temporarily move abroad to provide a service
(mode 4), or transport-related costs associated with the establishment of a commercial presence abroad
(mode 3).
Box 6.
GATS modes of supply
Mode 1 (cross-border trade): from the territory of one Member into the territory of any other Member
Example: Users in country A receive services from abroad through the telecommunications or postal network (e.g.
market research reports, telemedical advice)
Mode 2: Consumption abroad: in the territory of one Member to the service consumer of any other Member
[Example: Nationals of country A have moved abroad as tourists, students or patients to consume the respective
services
Mode 3: Commercial presence: by a service supplier of one Member, through commercial presence, in the
territory of any other Member
Example: The service is provided within country A by a locally established affiliate, subsidiary or office of a
foreign-owned and -controlled company (e.g. bank, hotel group)
Mode 4: Presence of natural persons: by a service supplier from one Member, through the presence of natural
persons of a Member in the territory of any other Member
Example: A foreign national provides services within country A as an independent supplier (e.g. consultant, health
worker) or employee of a foreign service firm (e.g. consultancy, hospital)
Source: WTO Document (2013), The General Agreement on Trade in Services – An Introduction (last accessed on 01 May 2016),
www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/serv_e/serv_e.htm.
2.2. Connectivity infrastructure and data flow
Because of the substantial difference between services and goods, it is not surprising that the cross-border
delivery phase of the e-commerce process is also significantly different in a services context. While the
delivery of goods across borders normally consists of five different steps (i.e. warehouse product
identification; secure packaging for delivery of goods; transport and shipping; crossing the border and
customs procedures; and delivery to end user), for services only a single phase suffices: delivering the
service electronically to the customer, upon online payment.
Although a number of problems affecting cross-border e-commerce goods suppliers (e.g. burdensome
customs procedures, inadequate warehousing management systems, poor transport-related infrastructure)
are not of concern to services suppliers, the cross-border delivery of services is not without its own
challenges. Two in particular are most likely to affect the ability of services suppliers to deliver services
across borders in an inexpensive and timely manner:
x
Inefficiency of connectivity infrastructure
Cross-border services delivery depends on the presence, in both the home and destination country, of
efficient, affordable and reliable connectivity infrastructure, which includes technological and process
infrastructure. Technological infrastructure comprises all technologies that establish interconnectivity
among telecommunications, cable, satellite, or other Internet backbone, as well as the Internet service
providers who connect market participants to that backbone. Process infrastructure is the intangibles
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that connect the Internet marketplace to the traditional marketplace and support the distribution and
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delivery of goods and services purchased over the Internet .
Inefficient telecom services, inadequate quality and speed of lines, unstable power supplies, limited
penetration and/or high cost of Internet connections can all contribute to increasing the cost and time
of delivery of services across borders.
For example, supplying gambling services or interactive videogames online would be negatively
affected by differences in Internet connection speed between the countries where gamblers are
located, as gamblers or players with better Internet connectivity would have an advantage over those
with lower connectivity.
x
Inadequate protection of data flows
Another issue that may arise in the context of cross-border delivery of services is inadequate
protection of personal data. A number of services require consumers to provide suppliers with
personal data (e.g. telemedicine). Clearly, consumers want to ensure that their data are used only for
the purposes of the service to be provided and that they are not, for example, transferred to third
parties for unsolicited marketing activities.
Although some countries have introduced binding regulations on the protection of data flows, many
others have not. For example, the EU has established a comprehensive and complex data protection
mechanism based on government authority and supervision, which regulates cross-border data
transfer. In the United States, by contrast, data flows are regulated on an ad hoc and sectoral basis.
Cross-border delivery of services may therefore be negatively affected by the absence of data
protection laws and mechanisms in either home or host country, as well as by the difference in
approach to data protection.
Addressing both issues would require, primarily, government intervention, which could take the form of
incentives for innovation, greater investments in technology and adoption of adequate data protection laws
and mechanisms.
2.3. Cross-border opportunities for e-commerce services
Technological progress and the emergence of e-commerce have given many developing countries the
opportunity to insert themselves into global value chains, participate more actively in cross-border trade and
reduce the distance between services suppliers and foreign customers.
Although electronic commerce allows for the supply of services across borders in a variety of sectors, the
greatest opportunities it represents for developing countries arise especially in:
x
Tourism
Tourism is a key driver of socioeconomic progress in the vast majority of developing and least
developed countries, through its role as a primary source of exports, growth and employment. Among
the top 10 international tourism destinations are China, Turkey and Mexico (ranked by international
tourist arrivals), as well as Thailand, Hong Kong SAR and Macao (ranked by international tourism
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receipts).
While a country’s historical, geographical and cultural endowments certainly contribute to attracting
foreign visitors, its level of accessibility, along with the quality of its food and lodging establishments
(e.g. hotels and restaurants) and payments services, are equally significant.
Rapid advances in technology, which reduce costs and expand potential customer bases, give SMEs
in developing and least developed countries the opportunity to participate in global value chains and to
92
Mann, Catherine L. (2000). Electronic Commerce in Developing Countries, Institute for International Economics.
93
UNWTO (2015). UNWTO Tourism Highlights – 2015 Edition, Madrid.
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have equal Internet access to international tourist markets.
94
SMEs interested in accessing foreign markets can particularly benefit from the adoption of crossborder e-commerce because it allows them to disintermediation in favour of a closer relationship
between supplier and consumer and, consequently, to eliminate their need to abide by the conditions
95
set by larger companies in the supply chain.
Most opportunities in e-tourism for SMEs operating in developing countries emerge in travel-related
services, such as car bookings, hotel bookings, flight bookings and tour operator services.
x
Business outsourcing services
Advances in information and communication technologies have contributed to the rapid growth of the
business outsourcing industry, and countries with advanced skills and lower labour costs have
benefited greatly from the cross-border delivery of these services.
For example, developing countries like Bangladesh, India and Thailand, along with LDCs like Senegal,
have acquired worldwide renown as top performers in the export of IT-enabled business outsourcing
services to English- and French-speaking destination markets.
Since business outsourcing services exports foster the transfer of knowledge and lead to investments
in physical and technological infrastructure and improvement of the education system, developing
countries with adequate skilled personnel should take advantage of the opportunities offered in this
sector.
x
Creative industries
Writers, artists, musicians and game producers have benefited significantly from technological
progress. The Internet and services digitalization give content producers easier access to distribution
and to more communication channels (e.g. video-sharing or streaming services for movies and TV
96
series), and enable consumers to access content almost anywhere at any time.
This means that developing countries with well-established film industries, such as India (Bollywood)
and Nigeria (Nollywood), can use digital services to distribute their movies beyond national and
regional borders. Similarly, writers in more remote parts of the world can now publish their work online
and make it available to readers worldwide.
94
Kim, C. (2004). E-Tourism: an Innovative Approach for the Small and Medium-Sized Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs) in Korea.
95
Jago, L. (2012). Developments in Digital Business, Guest Lecture of E-Tourism.
96
Acker et al. (2013). The digital future of creative Europe & The impact of digitization and the Internet on the creative industries in
Europe.
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Chapter 4
Aftersales
Establishing
online
business
International
e-payment
Cross-border
delivery
Aftersales
Checklist: Aftersales
Firm-level capabilities
Immediate business
environment
National environment
9
9
9
Effective customer feedback mechanism and customer relations management
Return or cancellation policies
Provision of sufficient information to enable consumers to make informed choices,
including information on available forms of redress
9
9
Availability of dispute settlement procedures
Mechanisms for recognizing the validity of transaction-related records, including
delivery records, chat records with salespersons, etc.
9
9
9
Consumer rights and rights enforcement
Adequate infrastructure for implementing and monitoring consumer protection policies
Appropriate policies for ensuring firms’ adherence to national/international standards
on consumer protection
National initiatives for developing effective online dispute settlement schemes
Elimination of duties on returned products
9
9
The aftersales phase of the e-commerce process includes all the activities that take place after buyers have
made their payment online and sellers have delivered the product or service to their clients. Its significance
should not be underestimated, as it provides the basis for establishing a lasting relationship between
suppliers and customers.
Customers play a key role in the aftersales phase, which consists of two main stages:
x
Consumers’ evaluation of the product or service delivered to them in terms of the information provided
by the supplier and the consumers’ subsequent expectations about the quality, functionality and cost
of their purchase;
x
Consumers’ assessment of, and potential recourse to, all available tools and instruments for seeking
redress in case the product or service does not meet their expectations.
Once a product or service is delivered, the end user is confronted with some questions: Does the product
resemble the one presented on the website? Does it perform as indicated on the supplier’s website? Was
the product or service provided of good quality? Does it meet the expectations consumers may have had
about its functionality, performance and quality? Were there additional costs upon delivery (e.g. customs
duties) that were not included in the information provided by the supplier about the final price of the online
transaction?
When suppliers provide their customers with transparent, precise, exhaustive, complete and clear
information – the kind of information that enables them to make informed choices in their online purchases –
consumers’ expectations about the quality, functionality and final cost of the products or services are likely to
be met.
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Information inaccuracies, shortcomings or asymmetries, on the other hand, may result in customer
disappointment and dissatisfaction. Examples abound of dresses, shirts or other pieces of clothing that were
bought online but did not match the picture that the supplier used to describe them on the website (e.g. the
colour, style or shape was different) because the image was somehow altered (e.g. through Photoshop or
deceitful lighting) or even intentionally fraudulent.
But consumers may also be confronted with the possibility of receiving a product that is damaged (e.g. a
broken CD, a shattered glass, a ripped dress), or malfunctioning (e.g. a phone charger that does not properly
charge the battery, takes too long to do so or damages the phone because either the charger or the battery
is not the original product).
1.
Using aftersales tools for consumer retention
In case of dissatisfaction with a good or service purchased online, consumers may resort to a number of
tools or instruments made available by the supplier or the regulatory environment to provide some form of
remedy. Among the most common are:
x
Customer review mechanism
Companies may provide an online system that allows customers to rate the product or service they
purchased (e.g. using stars, numbers or other scoring schemes) and write comments about its quality,
functionality or cost. This is an extremely powerful instrument for SMEs interested in entering the ecommerce arena and export abroad, because establishing and maintaining a good reputation is key to
competitiveness and customer attraction, both domestically and internationally. Companies like
97
98
TripAdvisor and RottenTomatoes have built their businesses around the concept of reputation, the
importance of customer reviews and the role that customer feedback plays in providing free publicity
and guidance for potential customers who want to make informed purchase decisions. By the same
token, dissatisfied consumers can use customer review mechanisms to express their grievances to
suppliers, possibly obtain additional remedies (e.g. a refund) or simply warn other potential customers
about their negative experience and the reason for their discontent.
x
Refund
Sellers can also create refund mechanisms for dissatisfied customers, either by paying back a
percentage of the total purchase price or by giving them a discount on future purchases, while also
allowing them to keep the item purchased. This type of remedy would only be made available for
situations that meet certain conditions (e.g. proof that the product is damaged or malfunctions, proof
that the damages were caused during delivery, or proof that the item delivered does not match the
picture on the website).
x
Cancellation policy
Under special circumstances and within certain time limits, consumers may be allowed to cancel their
purchase and obtain a full refund. For example, a tourist who finds accommodation through AirBnb,
which requires advanced payment to secure the booking, may be entitled under the company’s
cancellation policy to cancel the reservation within one to five days prior to arrival (i.e. flexible or
moderate cancellation policy) and receive a refund, less a non-refundable fee. This applies if the
tourist is unhappy with the renter because of a lack of communication post-booking, or because the
tourist has seen negative reviews that were not available at the time of booking. But cancellation
policies can be helpful also in circumstances beyond the supplier’s control (e.g. unexpected family or
work-related events that may force a customer to cancel hotel or travel reservations prior to arrival).
97
TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel site and travel community, reaching 350 million unique monthly visitors and 320 million
reviews and opinions covering more than 6.2 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. See www.tripadvisor.com.
98
RottenTomatoes is the leading online aggregator of movie and TV show reviews from professional critics. See
www.rottentomatoes.com.
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x
Return policy
Goods-exporting companies may offer dissatisfied customers the opportunity to return items without
paying additional fees or customs duties. This type of remedy is particularly useful when a product
gets damaged during delivery and the customer is interested in having it replaced rather than
accepting a partial or full refund, especially when the product is sold online by a relatively small
number of suppliers (e.g. iPhone cases with unique designs that are produced in limited numbers, or
when the customer is in particular need of the product (e.g. a photographer who requires a special
lens that is only available online).
x
Warranty
Products sold online may also be subject to a warranty, i.e. additional protection provided by the
supplier to the consumer, whereby the former is responsible for replacing or repairing a faulty or
damaged product. In some cases, consumer protection laws and regulations in the country of
purchase may extend rights beyond the period covered by the supplier’s warranty. For example, Apple
voluntary offers a one-year warranty all over the world, but Italian law calls for a two-year warranty to
be offered to consumers for purchases made in Italy (including through e-commerce). This would
mean that consumers in Italy may be entitled to a longer period of warranty than other Apple
99
consumers.
x
Privacy
The emergence of e-commerce and digital trade has allowed for the transfer of data, including
sensitive personal data, across borders, and such data are increasingly used for personalized
marketing purposes. Consumer protection legislation may tackle this problem by establishing specific
rules and limitations governing the use of personal data for e-commerce purposes. Companies selling
their services or products online across borders may, for example, be required to provide their
customers with transparent, clear and easily accessible information on which personal data they
intend to use and for what purpose, and allow them to opt out of data collection for marketing or
publicity.
x
Dispute settlement procedures
Whenever the instruments described above and internal complaint resolution procedures, are unable
to resolve a dispute that arises between supplier and consumer about non-performance of contractual
obligations, poor performance of contract, breach of privacy policy or breach of security of confidential
information, consumers may resort to third party dispute settlement procedures, which can be carried
out offline (e.g. court litigation, arbitration, mediation and other alternative dispute settlement
mechanisms) or online (i.e. online dispute resolution, which employs arbitration, mediation or
100
negotiations to settle disputes). In some cases a company expressly indicates which procedure it
prefers (e.g. Amazon provides for disputes to be settled through binding arbitration rather than in
101
court). In other cases, countries have developed effective online dispute settlement schemes, in a
bid to help consumers and traders resolve their disputes without going to court, in an easy, fast and
102
inexpensive way. This is, for example, the case of the EU.
2.
Challenges to aftersales service
SMEs engaging in e-commerce that want to be competitive in international markets and perceived by
consumers as better, more reliable and trustworthy than others should:
99
Apple (2016). Garanzia limitata di un (1) anno di Apple (ITALIA).
100
Harvard Law School (2001). E-commerce: Session 5 – Disputes.
101
Amazon (2016). Conditions of Use.
102
European Commission (2016). Alternative and Online Dispute Resolution (ADR/ODR).
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x
Provide a good or service that meets or even exceeds their customers’ expectations in terms of quality
and functionality;
x
Offer a good balance between price and quality;
x
Give consumers clear, transparent and correct information about the good or service supplied, its
pricing and all phases of the transaction, from payment to delivery;
x
Ensure secure and reliable payments via the Internet;
x
Deliver goods or services within a reasonable amount of time;
x
Provide adequate customer support.
This means that bottlenecks and problems that may confront suppliers and consumers in all the previous
stages of the e-commerce process chain (i.e. establishing a business online, payments, and cross-border
delivery) can also have an impact on the last stage of the process – aftersales – which focuses on the
relationship between supplier and consumer and the instruments used to protect the latter.
For instance, if a supplier struggles to find precise information about the total amount of taxes and customs
duties to be paid by the consumer for a cross-border delivery, the supplier will also find it difficult to provide
the consumer with the information needed to assess whether the product is worth the price, thus potentially
undermining the relationship between supplier and consumer. This is a problem faced by many European
consumers when buying products from United States suppliers: Consumers usually have to paid additional
customs duties to have the products delivered to their address, duties which are rarely indicated on United
States suppliers’ websites.
But failure to address privacy and security concerns in the first two stages of the e-commerce process (i.e.
establishing a business online and creating an efficient and secure payment system) can also have
repercussions on aftersales, as consumers may resort to dispute settlement procedures and internal
complaint mechanisms (e.g. customer reviews) to seek redress for breaches of privacy, hacking or
cyberfraud.
Two problems are most relevant for the aftersales phase of the e-commerce process chain:
x
Information deficiencies
Suppliers may fail to provide consumers with sufficient information for making informed choices,
including information on available redress. There are four main reasons for this:
Transparency concerns. Misinformation may derive from lack of transparency in consumer
protection legislation in foreign markets as to the type of information that should be made
available to consumers (e.g. disclosure of all the ingredients or origin of a food product;
warnings about the use or application of an electrical item; information on the treatment of
personal data).
Human capital constraints. Online goods and services suppliers may struggle to properly inform
their foreign customers because they lack knowledge of the regulatory environment in
destination markets, which can often be ascribed to the limited financial and human resources
available to most SMEs.
Marketing flaws. Ensuring that foreign consumers are able to make informed choices may prove
impossible for e-traders who rely on poorly designed websites where information is scattered,
fragmented and not readily accessible, and which consumers cannot easily navigate.
Regulatory diversity across countries. Providing adequate, exhaustive and relevant information
to consumers can prove difficult for SMEs in light of the remarkable variations in consumer
protection legislation across countries, with differences going beyond content and provisions, as
illustrated in Box 7 below. Though designed to reinforce potential customers’ confidence in e-
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commerce, law and regulations protecting end users can have the opposite effect, insofar as
they may make it more complex, time-consuming and costly for companies, especially SMEs, to
trade across borders via electronic means. Indeed, the variations in consumer protection laws
across different target markets have two unfavourable outcomes. First, they often generate
legal uncertainty, especially for e-traders who lack the necessary human and financial
resources to carry out proper market intelligence on what local consumer protection laws and
regulations dictate in each target market (e.g. as regards the type of information websites
should or should not contain). Second, they may create a more costly, time-consuming and
cumbersome adaptation process for websites, which can be particularly burdensome on SMEs,
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especially when businesses are unsure about what is actually required of them.
x
Burdensome return policy
E-traders who engage in cross-border e-commerce may find it too burdensome and costly to adopt
and implement a return policy, as they are responsible for paying all additional customs duties and
fees and for dealing with all the administrative red tape required to return a faulty or damaged product
across borders. Therefore, consumers may not be able to benefit from any return policy that does not
impose additional costs on the consumer, unless there is applicable legislation mandating the
protection of consumers’ rights to return purchased goods and legislators are able to enforce it.
Box 7.
Consumer protection approaches
Government supervision: type of regulatory mechanism for e-commerce based on the Government’s
administrative regulations and the belief that consumer protection cannot be left to individual [private-sector?]
enforcement, as market inefficiencies may lead to unwanted mistrust by consumers and underdevelopment of
markets and production. Government authorities endeavour to monitor misbehaviour in markets in order to protect
the weaker parties. In keeping with this approach, governments can set up entities or agencies specifically
dedicated to consumer protection for e-commerce transactions. A number of countries have adopted this
approach, including China, which although it lacks a law dealing exclusively with consumer protection in ecommerce, has adopted a consumer code that applies to both traditional and online transactions.
Private regulatory mechanism: consumer protection achieved through industry self-regulation and supervision of
the market by consumer organizations. This approach, adopted by the European Union, which has no central
agency for consumer protection in e-commerce transactions, may give rise to enforcement issues.
Hybrid approach: a consumer protection mechanism that entails private sector enforcement and State-based
market supervision, in conjunction with making use of market forces, and which results from a convergence
between the other two mechanisms.
3.
Strategies and policy recommendations for improving aftersales service
x
Improving information collection and dissemination
A number of solutions to the issues that may emerge in the aftersales stage can be provided at firm
level, since they are within the control of SMEs that engage in cross-border e-commerce. For
example, companies can employ their resources to improve the design and structure of their website,
with a view to making information more readily accessible to consumers. They can also invest more
time and effort in regulatory-related market intelligence, possibly by employing more qualified
personnel or through outsourcing.
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National Board of Trade (2012). E-Commerce - New Opportunities, New Barriers: A survey of e-commerce barriers in countries
outside the EU.
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x
Adopting binding consumer protection laws
Government intervention may be key to addressing the vast majority of the problems that affect
aftersales. For example, by adopting laws and regulations specifically designed to safeguard the
economic interests of consumers (e.g. right to return and cancellation policies, policies protecting data
transfer and privacy, and information requirements), governments can help SMEs in their quest to
build a good reputation and encourage consumers to engage in cross-border e-commerce, in lieu or in
combination with traditional trade.
Buying a good at a shop allows customers to personally assess the product, its quality and
functionality before paying for it. If customers are interested in buying a dress, they can try it on to
check how it fits and how the fabric looks and feels, and they can examine it for defects (e.g. faulty zip,
loose button). If anything is found to be wrong the seller can either immediately provide another dress
of the same size and type or, if none is available, customers can leave the shop without making any
payment. For customers to be persuaded to buy the dress online and have it delivered to their address
across borders, they must be sure that they will receive satisfactory treatment if the product is faulty or
damaged; they must be able to return the product or cancel the purchase with a full refund, without
having to pay any additional fees or customs duties. In the absence of private mechanisms regulating
this type of consumer rights, administrative regulation by governments would not only be viable but
highly recommended.
x
Implementing enforcement mechanisms
Adopting binding regulation on consumer protection is not sufficient to ensure that consumer rights will
indeed be respected and protected: Enforcement mechanisms and adequate infrastructure for
implementing and monitoring consumer protection policies are actually necessary. Indeed, with a view
to strengthening the enforcement of EU legislation with respect to consumers’ economic interests, the
EU adopted the 2004 regulation on consumer protection cooperation, which set minimum enforcement
capacities for national authorities and allowed joint enforcement actions with the European
Commission (e.g. screening of thousands of websites across a variety of sectors for infringements of
104
EU law, which resulted in increased compliance).
x
Increasing transparency
Government intervention can also be crucial in addressing transparency concerns about the
accessibility of information on consumer protection laws and regulations. Increasing regulatory
transparency would benefit suppliers and consumers alike, allowing suppliers to gather all the
necessary information that must be provided to consumers – information that is key to gaining
customers’ trust and brand loyalty – and allowing consumers to make informed choices. Different
avenues are available to policymakers to foster greater regulatory transparency:
Improving channels of communication and information dissemination on newly adopted rules
and regulations governing consumer protection and relevant to cross-border e-commerce (e.g.
setting up a website completely focused on the rules and regulations affecting electronic
commerce and available in multiple languages);
Providing greater clarity on the content of regulatory provisions and the criteria and cases of
application (e.g. by indicating whether the scope of application of return policies goes beyond
damage or fraud), and encouraging greater collaboration among governments in the regulatory
process.
104
European Commission (2014). Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and
Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the functioning of Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 of the European Parliament
and of the Council of 27 October 2004 on cooperation between national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer
protection laws (the Regulation on consumer protection cooperation), COM(2014) 439 Final, pp. 1-2.
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x
Reducing regulatory diversity
In order to solve regulatory-related information issues arising in the context of cross-border ecommerce, attention should also be devoted to reducing regulatory diversity across countries.
Simplifying regulations and promoting greater collaboration among countries – possibly by
encouraging firms to adopt international standards on consumer protection – would make it less timeconsuming and difficult for e-traders, especially SMEs, to access information about the regulatory
environment in foreign markets; to implement laws and regulations applicable in destination markets;
and to provide consumers with precise, clear and trustworthy information on legislation affecting their
economic interests.
x
Eliminating duties on return products
Fostering collaboration among governments may also prove necessary, and fruitful, to eliminating
duties on return products, with a view to encouraging companies to grant consumer rights to return, in
the absence of national legislation on consumer protection, or to enforce existing policies to safeguard
consumer rights. As many SMEs may not be able to afford additional costs related to customs duties
for returned goods, they may be forced to set higher prices for their products (i.e. prices that take such
duties into account), in order to guarantee the application of a return policy established by law. Such a
decision could, however, have negative repercussions on the product’s price-quality ratio and
consequently on the company’s competitiveness. Eliminating customs duties on return products would
allow companies, especially SMEs, to guarantee consumer protection and comply with relevant
national legislation, but without compromising their own competitiveness.
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Chapter 5
Emerging international cooperation
Cross-border e-commerce is essentially international trade. When a product or service is supplied from a
seller in one country to a customer in another, an international trade transaction is recorded. International
trade is governed by a myriad of laws and treaties, including the rules on goods and services trade of WTO,
bilateral and regional trade agreements and, increasingly, international investment rules, as global value
chains link trade and investment together. In the context of cross-border e-commerce, rules on cross-border
data flows, consumer protection, IP protection and data privacy are also key determinants that shape the
flow of trade.
The rapid increase of cross-border e-commerce, and the online retail sale of goods in particular, poses new
challenges for trade regulators. Bulk imports are now broken down into individual parcels, and each parcel
still needs to be processed through customs. Cross-border e-commerce businesses are calling for creative
solutions to the bottleneck on the flow of trade. Such solutions include more efficient customs administration,
greater transparency and predictability of the related duties and taxes, and increased support for SMEs to
benefit from cross-border e-commerce. Many of these would require enhanced cooperation among national
agencies and national governments, through joint efforts on international trade rules and capacity-building
efforts.
International organizations such as WTO, the World Bank, the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the
Universal Postal Union (UPU), the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and ITC have long been
involved in studying the implications of cross-border e-commerce and have helped to assess e-commerce
trends, ICT infrastructure development, policy recommendations, opportunities for SMEs and capacitybuilding needs. E-commerce is also discussed extensively in global and regional governance forums,
including the Group of 20 (G20) and APEC, and promoted by regional development initiatives, such as the
Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The roles played by international organizations and intergovernmental initiatives in facilitating cross-border ecommerce fall into three areas: studying and analysing trends, negotiating and implementing international
rules, and promoting e-commerce through capacity-building initiatives.
1.
Analysing e-commerce trends
Many publications are produced each year by international organizations on the growth trends of ecommerce. They provide rich information on the latest developments in the field and point to issues that
deserve attention at the global level.
UNCTAD, for instance, produces the UNCTAD Information Economy Report each year, which captures the
major developments related to ICT and e-commerce. The 2015 edition explores the opportunities in B2B and
B2C e-commerce for enterprises in developing countries and studies how best to use and develop ICTs for
economic growth and sustainable development. The report advises policymakers to align laws on esignatures and e-contracting internationally; to update international guidelines on consumer protection; and
to establish minimum standards on data protection and cybercrime.
OECD produces the Digital Economy Outlook, a biennial series that examines and documents emerging
trends, opportunities and challenges in the digital economy. It highlights how OECD member countries and
partner economies are taking advantage of ICTs and the Internet to meet their public policy objectives. The
publication provides overview of converging trends, policy developments and data in the digital economy on
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both the supply and demand sides.
In 2016, the World Bank released its annual World Development Report, entitled “Digital Dividends”, which
explores the Internet’s impact on economic growth, social and economic opportunities and the efficiency of
public services delivery. The report examines how the Internet can be a force for development, especially for
105
OECD (2015). OECD Digital Economy Outlook 2015.
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the poor in developing countries. It analyses the factors that have allowed some businesses, people and
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governments to benefit greatly from the Internet.
2.
Negotiating and implementing international rules on e-commerce
WTO is the premier forum for negotiating and establishing international trade rules, monitoring the
implementation of trade rules and resolving trade disputes between governments.
Already in the late 1990s, the emergence of e-commerce caught the attention of WTO members. At the 1998
WTO Ministerial Conference, members agreed to study trade issues arising from global electronic
commerce, focusing on three questions: how do existing WTO agreements affect e-commerce? Are there
any weaknesses or omissions in the rules which need to be remedied? Are there any new issues not
covered by the WTO system on which members may want to negotiate new disciplines?
The 1998 Ministerial Conference also adopted a declaration on global electronic commerce, which included
a so-called moratorium stating that “members will continue their current practice of not imposing customs
duties on electronic transmission”. This moratorium was extended in the subsequent Ministerial Conferences
and is still in effect today.
The 1998 declaration also established a work programme on electronic commerce at WTO, mandating the
agency to examine issues related to e-commerce in the areas of goods, services, intellectual property and
trade and development. Numerous meetings have been held and the secretariat has produced many
background documents to explore key issues, including classification of the content of certain electronic
transmissions; development-related issues; fiscal implications of e-commerce; the relationship (and possible
substitution effects) between e-commerce and traditional forms of commerce; the imposition of customs
duties on electronic transmissions; competition; jurisdiction; and applicable legal issues.
Apart from WTO, a number of other international organizations involved in supporting regulatory aspects of
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e-commerce:
x
WIPO is the international leader on digital copyright and trademark issues involving domain names.
WIPO has created a digital agenda to respond to the confluence of the Internet, digital technologies
and the intellectual property system. Through international discussions and negotiations, WIPO is
formulating new ways to disseminate intellectual works while also ensuring that the rights of their
creators remain protected. The digital agenda also aims at integrating developing countries into the
Internet environment through such tools as WIPOnet, which seeks link over 300 intellectual property
offices in WIPO Member States; WIPO’s Global Information Network and the electronic delivery of
information and services; rethinking how intellectual property law works in Internet transactions and
examining emerging new norms in this respect; facilitating the creation of effective online dispute
settlement mechanisms; and coordinating the development of efficient and consistent responses to
common concerns across national and multisectoral boundaries.
x
UPU has 192 member countries and focuses on developing easy access for better delivery of goods
in e-commerce.
UPU’s E-Commerce Programme, for instance, aims at accelerating global e-commerce by integrating
postal services into the world of e-commerce and making international shipping and postal delivery
easier. It offers action plans in market development, postal electronic services, logistics (physical
services), greater interoperability and enhancing payment solutions.
x
OECD is at the forefront of Internet taxation, e-commerce consumer protection and privacy. It has
developed policy in areas ranging from telecommunications infrastructure and services to network
security and data protection, as well as emerging markets and developing economies. Following the
adoption of its OECD Action Plan for Electronic Commerce, endorsed by its members in 1998, its work
106
The World Bank (2016). World Development Report 2016: Digital Dividends.
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ITU (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://www.itu.int/ITU-T/special-projects/ip-policy/final/Attach04.doc.
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programme has focused on building trust among users and consumers; establishing ground rules for
the digital marketplace; enhancing the information infrastructure for e-commerce; and maximizing the
benefits of e-commerce.
x
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has implemented the Uniform
Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, which has settled thousands of domain name disputes.
Future ICANN work is likely to address several key issues, including institutional reform, the
participation of Internet users in the policymaking process, the establishment of new top-level domains
and amendments to ICANN's domain name dispute resolution process.
x
The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) has played a leading role in
developing model laws for e-commerce transactions.
UNCITRAL drafted the Model Law on Electronic Commerce in 1996 to enhance the use of paperless
communication. In 2001, it drafted the Model Law on Electronic Signatures. Dozens of countries from
every continent have used the Model Law as the basis for establishing e-commerce legislation,
including Bermuda, Colombia, Thailand, Tunisia and the United States, as well as the EU.
Future electronic commerce work will focus on: electronic contracting, with a view to creating a draft
convention; online dispute settlement; dematerialization of documents of title; and a convention to
remove legal barriers to the development of e-commerce in international trade instruments.
x
The Hague Conference on Private International Law has been the worldwide leader on Internet
jurisdiction issues.
In 1999, the Conference held a round-table discussion (in conjunction with the University of Geneva)
with experts in various fields on issues arising from e-commerce and Internet transactions. A series of
recommendations were adopted in such areas as online contracts, B2B and B2C transactions and
online dispute resolution. In June 2001 the Conference held its nineteenth session to work on a new
convention on jurisdiction and foreign judgments in civil and commercial matters and to decide on its
future work programme.
Many national and regional institutions are also exploring initiatives on the regulatory side to facilitate ecommerce. Most notably, the European Union has issued a number of directives addressing e-commercerelated regulatory issues, including the processing and free movement of personal data, legal protection of
databases, protection of consumers in respect of distance contracts, and harmonization of certain aspects of
copyright and related rights.
APEC is very active in e-commerce initiatives, including Digital Divide Blueprint for Action, APEC Initiative on
Paperless Trading, the Action Plan to Support the Use of Electronic Commerce by SMEs, and APEC
Voluntary Online Consumer Protection Principles.
E-commerce is also discussed in the context of the G20 and its international business coalition, the B20. The
B20 meetings under the Turkish presidency in 2015, for instance, produced the B20 Digital Economy Policy
Paper, calling for G20 actions on ensuring data flow and data security, improving the global trade system for
the emerging digital economy, improving access of enterprises to digital economy and infrastructures, and
addressing skills mismatches. The G20 leaders also committed themselves to bridging the digital divide in
the G20 Antalya Summit Communiqué.
In parallel, international cooperation has been emerging in the field of data and statistics related to ecommerce. For example, the United Nations Interagency Task Force on Trade Statistics (whose members
include national Governments, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), UNCTAD, the United Nations
Statistics Division (UNSD), WTO and OECD) has been developing concepts, definitions and guidelines for
improving the measurement of online international transactions. More recently, WTO initiated collaboration
with UNCTAD and UPU to identify ways to improve the measurement of cross-border e-commerce.
In the context of regional trade agreements (RTAs), WTO estimates that a growing number of such
agreements now include specific chapters covering e-commerce. Of the 269 RTAs notified to the
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organization as of 4 March 2016, 65 (roughly a quarter of the total) include provisions on e-commerce, often
addressing such issues as paperless trade, electronic authentication and e-signature.
With the rising importance of e-commerce and cross-border e-commerce in particular, the international
community will see a growing need to cooperate on developing a new set of trade rules that more specifically
address policy issues related to cross-border e-commerce.
3.
Capacity-building for global e-commerce
SMEs in developing countries are still on the wrong side of the digital divide, and it is therefore crucial for
governments and international organizations to help SMEs and developing countries increase their access to
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the global e-commerce market.
Numerous initiatives exist at the international level to address different issues on the checklists provided in
previous chapters. Different actors tend to focus on different points of the e-commerce process chain, or on
different levels of determinants (firm level, immediate business environment or national level).
UNCTAD is very active at the national policy level and provides capacity building services to policy and
lawmakers at national and regional levels in understanding the legal issues underpinning e-commerce. The
agency also provides national diagnostics, assessments and technical assistance for the development of
national e-commerce strategies in addition to its work on measuring e-commerce already mentioned above.
UPU works at a variety of levels helping countries build an enabling postal environment for e-commerce at
the national and international level. These interventions include actions related to e-commerce logistics and
postal delivery infrastructure, postal payments infrastructure, secure ICT infrastructure (under the “.Post”
domain), affordable access to e-commerce platform solutions, aspects of cross-border delivery such as
transport and security and e-Customs, as well as regulations and standardization for universal access to
postal services. One example of these actions is the Registered Article Quality Enhancement Lead
(RAQUEL) project in the Asia-Pacific region. RAQUEL aims at improving post offices services by developing
better track and trace technology and by helping them in the assessment of end-to-end service quality.
ITC, in turn, works at the firm level, intervening at different stages of the e-commerce process chain. Its
e-Solutions programme helps enterprises (and in particular SMEs) take part in digital trade by acquiring key
capabilities that are not readily accessible, affordable or understood by smaller enterprises in developing or
LDCs. These capabilities include not only an understanding of the opportunities and requirements of
international markets, but also the ability to face more practical challenges, such as accepting international
payments, proposing efficient and cost-effective transport and logistics, and raising awareness and trust
among international customers.
Sometimes technical assistance providers directly collaborate with e-platforms in order to bring SMEs to the
market. ITC and the World Bank, for instance, collaborate with global and regional marketplaces to facilitate
improved access to these marketplaces. The approach involves building the capacity of local e-commerce
advisers who are in turn expected to coach SMEs to generate more visibility and interest in their products on
regional and global platforms.
The above list of initiatives and providers is far from exhaustive but gives an idea of the multiplicity of
initiatives that exist. Those initiatives are rarely coordinated and rarely address the full e-commerce process
chain. In light of this situation, a “Call for Action” has recently been issued under the lead of UNCTAD, with a
view to better coordinating Aid for E-Trade. The Call for Action is intended to bring together representatives
from governments, international organizations and the private sector to cooperate on unlocking the
e-commerce potential of developing countries.
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See ITC (2016) on the digital divide for SMEs in developing countries: ITC (2016) SME Competitiveness Outlook 2016. See also The
World Bank (2016). World Development Report 2016: Digital Dividends. Washington, DC: The World Bank.
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Chapter 6
Conclusions
Cross-border e-commerce merges new methods of doing business via the internet with century-old practices
of conducting cross-border trade. Being successful in this form of international trade therefore requires the
ability to master new methods of doing business and the ability to conduct certain traditional activities
differently. Being successful in cross-border e-commerce requires the ability to embrace change.
A systematic analysis of the process chain of e-commerce reveals that at the firm level, success in crossborder e-commerce requires readiness and ability to use information and communication technologies for
establishing an online business and conducting international e-payments. Success also depends on
reorganizing storage and warehouse management to respond to multiple small orders rather than limited
bulk orders. It also requires the ability to deal directly with customers abroad for aftersales service, rather
than just working indirectly through a foreign retailer or intermediary.
Other key prerequisites for successful e-commerce concern access: access to the networks and platforms
that feed into the e-commerce process chain; access to affordable Internet services; access to third-party
e-payment service providers, with links to domestic banks; access to post and express delivery services with
tracking ability.
Change must also be embraced by national policymakers wishing to support e-commerce growth in their
country. E-signature and e-contract laws are needed to facilitate the creation of online businesses.
International e-payments call for regulations on the free cross-border flow of currency and, ideally, on the
prevention of online fraud and cybercrime. Cross-border delivery depends critically on countries’ transport
infrastructure and customs clearance procedures. Last but not least, e-commerce may require new rules for
consumer protection.
The above list of requirements is not complete but provides a good sense of the quantity and complexity of
the challenges ahead for SMEs that wish to become e-commerce players and for policymakers or trade and
investment support institutions wishing to support e-commerce.
Notwithstanding these complexities, e-commerce has been enthusiastically embraced by consumers and
producers in a number of economies. Only 21 years after the first e-commerce transaction in 1995, the value
of global e-commerce sales is today well above US$ 1 trillion. E-commerce has also enabled the emergence
of numerous tech-savvy and dynamic enterprises in the developing world. This publication has provided
several examples of success but also of the challenges SMEs may still face.
While e-commerce provides opportunities for enhancing the inclusion of developing-country SMEs in
regional and global markets, it also risks engendering the opposite outcome. The digital gap between
countries is well documented. Addressing this digital divide has to be a priority. In addition to this, SMEs on
average are much less e-connected than large firms, and the firm-level digital gap is wider in the developing
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than in the developed world. Closing both these gaps is therefore critical if e-commerce is to work in
favour of developing-country SMEs, and the checklists in this paper have provided pointers on how that can
happen.
International organizations like ITC, UNCTAD, the World Bank and the World SME Forum are actively
supporting developing-country SMEs in their endeavours to become cross-border e-commerce players and
thus contribute to closing the firm-level digital gap. A number of players, including UNCTAD, UPU and WIPO,
are working to strengthen the immediate business environment and national policies required for successful
e-commerce. The WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement has the potential to address some of the challenges
related to cross-border delivery discussed in this paper.
But making e-commerce work for developing-country SMEs also requires new rules and regulations at the
national level and multilateral level. The need for international solutions was already recognized in the early
days of e-commerce, in such institutions as WTO. But global solutions to modern challenges – including
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ITC (2015). SME Competiveness Outlook 2015.
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cross-border e-signature recognition, international e-payments and international consumer and data
protection – still need to be found.
Business and policy leaders are aware of these challenges, as reflected in the prominence of e-commerce in
G20 and B20 discussions, the revival of e-commerce discussions at WTO, and the call by Alibaba, China's
leading e-commerce giant, for the establishment of a private-sector-led electronic World Trade Platform to
enhance public-private dialogue on cross-border e-commerce. The success of these and other related
initiatives will be important to ensure that cross-border e-commerce can be a tool to increase the
competitiveness of developing-country SMEs to allow them to connect to new regional and global markets
and respond to growing demand for e-commerce activity.
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Appendix I: Country profiles
Global overview of cross-border e-commerce
As the economic and policy significance of e-commerce has increased, a growing number of countries –
including Canada, China, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States – have begun
to collect data on e-commerce revenues. This process will help refine the currently broad definition of ecommerce and lead to its more universal adoption. In parallel with these government efforts, research has
been undertaken by consulting firms and data banks, taking advantage of the growing interest in exploring ecommerce data.
McKinsey Global Institute recently produced a report on digital global flows that highlights some promising
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facts about e-commerce. It shows, for example, that the flow of Internet data has been exceeding global
flows of trade and finance: the former increased 45-fold between 2005 (4.7 Tbps) and 2014 (211.3 Tbps),
while the latter are flattening. New technologies (e.g. 3D printing and downloadable media) are among the
factors contributing to the decrease in global goods trade. The new trend seems to have a positive impact on
economic growth, with world gross domestic product (GDP) from data flows rising by US$ 2.8 trillion.
Moreover, GDP in some countries could grow by as much as 50% in the long term if those countries
accelerate their participation in global flows. This growth is quite recent; cross-border data flows date back
just 15 years. With respect to digital financial flows, cross-border financial flows, including lending, FDI and
purchases of equities and bonds, soared from US$ 0.5 trillion in 1980 to US$ 11.9 trillion in 2007 and then
fell during the economic crisis. They are now, however, recovering, and reached US$ 5.2 trillion in 2014.
The distribution of e-commerce activity still varies by the development levels of different countries.
UNCTAD’s Information Economy Report 2015 assembles data from national statistical officesand private
consultancy firms. This report shows that global e-commerce is dominated by developed countries. However,
these results may be influenced by the fact that comprehensive data on e-commerce are mostly provided by
developed countries. In fact it is developing countries that are growing the fastest, especially in Asia and the
Pacific. According to Forrester Research, total online retail revenues in Australia, China, India, Japan and
Republic of Korea surpass those in the United States and Western Europe combined, and are forecast to
111
nearly double between 2015 (US$ 733 billion) and 2020 (US$ 1.4 trillion) .
Figure 5. Global connectivity and the increase in global e-commerce sales
1 506
$1, 600.0 0
Global e-commerce sales (US$ billion)
$1, 400.0 0
3
1 328
1 156
$1, 200.0 0
995
840
$1, 000.0 0
35%
695
38%
41%
2012
2013
2014
$80 0.00
$60 0.00
26%
29%
32%
$40 0.00
Internet users
$20 0.00
$0. 00
2009
2010
2011
2015
2016
2017
2018
Source: Euromonitor & World Bank.
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McKinsey (2015). Global payments 2015: A healthy industry confronts disruption.
111
Forrester (2016, March 4). Asia Pacific Ecommerce Market to Reach US$1.4 Trillion in 2020.
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1.
Connectivity to the World Wide Web and e-commerce
The growth of e-commerce has been enabled primarily by developments in telecommunications technology,
which means that the availability of infrastructure remains a large determinant of the prevalence of ecommerce in a country. This is evident from the substantial increase in e-commerce activity over the past 10
years, which follows the astounding expansion of social media and the development of other new
technologies. With the world becoming more interconnected than ever over the past decade, e-commerce
has become a significant channel for both cross-border trade and domestic trade. Figure 5 above shows the
level of global connectivity vis-à-vis the increase in global e-commerce sales.
The importance of infrastructure in the level of e-commerce activity may explain to a large extent the
disparity in e-commerce activity between developing and developed countries. However, this may change in
years to come, as connectivity to the World Wide Web through cellular mobile phones is increasing and may
soon surpass landline-based Internet use. Conventionally, e-commerce transactions relied on financial tools
like credit cards and account transfers, which may be harder to obtain in less developed countries because
of the difference in the development of the banking sector or the difference in financial systems. The
availability of new payment methods, such as PayPal and prepaid “credit cards”, has enabled populations in
many developing countries to carry out the type of financial transactions essential for e-commerce.
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The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) provides the primary reference statistics for this issue.
First of all, trends in the use of the Internet and the number of households with Internet access show that
developing countries are doing particularly well. In 2014, the number of Internet users in developing
countries increased nearly fourfold over the 2005 level. More than one third of the population of those
countries has been catching up with developed countries in terms of the number of households with Internet
access. Over the decade 2005–2015, the percentage of developing-country households with Internet access
jumped from 8% to 34%, a larger expansion than in developed countries. In the latter group, the proportion is
in fact higher but the expansion is much flatter.
In terms of mobile-cellular use, ITU provides statistics that can help understand mobile-based e-commerce,
known as m-commerce (see Chapter 1b), which is growing at a very fast pace. M-commerce was forecast to
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reach 40% of global e-commerce transactions in 2015. Smartphones are increasingly popular and are
reaching every corner of the world. The platform – the phone – has moved beyond its original designation
and has become a pocket-sized personal computer through which people can connect and perform financial
transactions, such as paying bills, managing their accounts and, most importantly, shopping.
Figure 6 shows the absolute number and the number per 100 inhabitants of mobile-cellular telephone
subscriptions. The growth over the past 11 years, while moderate in developed countries, has been dramatic
in developing countries. In 2005 less than one in four persons had a mobile-cellular subscription, whereas by
2014 almost everyone had a subscription. At the regional level, the biggest growth was observed in Africa,
where mobile-cellular subscriptions soared from 87 million to 685 million during 2005–2014 or, in relative
terms, from 12% to 73.5% of the population. Asia and the Pacific has the largest absolute number of
subscriptions of all the regions, although one of the lowest numbers of subscriptions per person. However,
given that the growth rates in both absolute and relative terms were the highest in these two regions, they
are definitely the fastest-expanding market for mobile commerce.
112
ITU (2015). ICT Facts and Figures: the world in 2015.
113
These trends and forecasts come from Criteo’s Q1 2015 State of Mobile Commerce Report, based on its unique pool of online
shopping data covering 1.4 billion transactions totalling over $160 billion of annual sales. Mobile commerce in this report excludes
NFC/proximity payments. Retrieved from: http://www.criteo.com/media/1894/criteo-state-of-mobile-commerce-q1-2015-ppt.pdf.
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Figure 6. Mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions
160
6
140
5
120
Percentages
3
2
1
100
80
60
40
20
Developing
Arab States
Developed
Africa
Asia & Pacific
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
Developed
Africa
2006
0
-
2005
Billions
4
Developing
Arab States
CIS
Source: International Telecommunications Union, http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx
The active mobile broadband subscriptions indicator captures data that may not be covered by individualized
connectivity data, that is, the wireless-broadband Internet subscriptions using terrestrial mobile connections.
Once again, developing countries have grown the fastest. During 2010–2014, mobile broadband
subscriptions grew more than fivefold in absolute terms and per inhabitant. Africa and the Arab States are
performing the best, with more than sixfold growth in only four years.
As data on connectivity indicate, developing countries are becoming increasingly more attractive markets for
e-commerce, since their connectivity to the internet is growing rapidly. Therefore, with the continuous
development of infrastructure, greater adoption of cellular data plans, and the increase in incomes, the
market for e-commerce will become much larger, and will do so at a much faster rate; 65% of the
developing-country population still do not use the Internet, and that proportion is higher than in developed
countries. For instance, Africa saw the highest growth, from only 17 million Internet users in 2005 up to 193
million in 2014.
The research company eMarketer highlights the importance of “social commerce” in this connection – i.e. the
share of e-commerce traffic driven by social media. Although it is a small share, retailers should not ignore it.
Social media are a crucial voice of public opinion, with a powerful influence on a retailer’s reputation, for
example through the reviews published on such opinion websites as TripAdvisor and Yelp. Some 900 million
people have international connections on social media, and 360 million take part in cross-border e114
Finally, mobile payment methods through phones and smartphones, such as PayPal and
commerce.
115
Apple Pay, are many people’s favourites, as they are easy to set up and use.
114
Manyika et al. (2016). Digital globalization : the new era of global flows.
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eMarketer (2016, March 21). Why College Students Prefer Mobile Payment Methods.
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Figure 7. Increase in social network users worldwide
Number of social network users worldwide (billions)
1.22
2011
1.4
2012
1.59
2013
1.87
2.04
2014
2015
2.22
2.39
2.55
2016*
2017*
2018*
*forecast World Customs Organization.
Source: Worldwide; eMarketer.
2.
Measuring e-commerce
E-commerce measurement to date has relied primarily on data from international organizations, corporate
reports (e.g. PayPal), and some official statistics from developed countries. This lack of official statistics is
quite understandable due to the cost of collecting the data and the complexity of defining and measuring ecommerce. That complexity is exacerbated in developing countries by the informal – and sometimes
innovative – nature of e-commerce transactions, such as paying by phone credit or informal payments. The
main sources are, again, international organizations (including the World Customs Organization (WCO) and
UPU) and companies, such as Payvision, which, as discussed in UNCTAD’s Information Economy Report
2015, provides an international payment processing platform to banks and payment service providers in the
e-commerce market.
The sectoral distribution of e-commerce seems to be concentrated in manufacturing and wholesale trade
sectors, which generate most e-commerce revenue. The United States Census Bureau estimated that ecommerce accounted for 57% of all manufacturing shipments and 26.5% of total merchant wholesale in
116
2013. In terms of transaction type, the largest share of trade volume is represented by B2B transactions,
which in 2013 exceeded US$ 15 trillion. Some 36% of global B2B e-commerce was accounted for by the
117
United States, followed by United Kingdom (18%), Japan (14%) and China (10%).
In order to find customers and suppliers abroad, small businesses are becoming increasingly international,
using digital platforms such as eBay, Amazon, Facebook and Alibaba. This relates to B2C e-commerce,
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which is supporting economic growth everywhere at a very fast rate. B2C global trade volume was US$
1.2 trillion in 2013, much smaller than B2B e-commerce, but is expanding the fastest. Particularly in Asia and
Oceania, B2C is forecast to double in 2017. China is the largest global market for this type of trade in terms
of web sales and turnover, while the United Kingdom recorded the highest average expenditure per online
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buyer (US$ 5,000 in 2013). UNCTAD developed an index for B2C e-commerce, which shows that in 2014
most of the largest e-commerce companies by revenue were from the United States (Amazon.com, Dell) and
China (JD.com, Jia.com). These two countries are also home to the largest B2C online platforms (measured
by gross merchandise value), such as Alibaba Group (China), Amazon and eBay (both United States). Most
B2C statistics come from research firms, such as e-Marketer, but estimates vary depending on the
methodology. This is another wake-up call for establishing a common definition and a harmonized legal and
statistical framework in order to measure e-commerce correctly.
116
US Census Bureau (2015). E-Stats 2013: Measuring the Electronic Economy. Economy-Wide Statistics Briefs E13-ESTATS.
117
UNCTAD (2015). Information Economy Report 2015: Unlocking the potential of e-commerce for developing countries.
118
McKinsey (2015). Global payments 2015: A healthy industry confronts disruption.
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UNCTAD (2015). Information Economy Report 2015: Unlocking the potential of e-commerce for developing countries.
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Figure 8. Domestic vs. cross-border e-commerce marketplaces in 2017
Asia-Pacific
European Union
United States
Latin America and
the Caribbean
Rest
Restof
ofthe
theworld
World
0%
20%
40%
60%
Domestic
Cross-border
80%
100%
Source: Forrester and Channel Advisor.
According to WCO, cross-border e-commerce accounts for 10–15% of total e-commerce volume, and varies
considerably between regions. Asia is again the leader for this type of e-commerce. By 2025, Asia may
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account for 40% of cross-border volumes, followed by Europe (25%) and North America (20%). However,
these data may underestimate the reality. WCO collects data through annual surveys, but companies are
reticent about contributing. In addition, the data only produce estimates of merchandise trade. WCO has
121
called for a strategy to convince firms that providing information is actually of benefit to them.
Finally, UPU plays an interesting role in measuring e-commerce, and particularly cross-border trade in goods
ordered via the Internet, since they own a database on international postal traffic in small packets, parcels
122
and packages. To impute missing data, UPU also relies on external sources, such as data from web
123
At the WTO technical expert group meeting on measuring cross-border ecrawling technologies.
commerce (February 2016), UPU undertook to adjust its data collection by including e-commerce and crossborder aspects of all postal shipments.
Between 2011 and 2014, global deliveries of small packets, parcels and packages grew by 48%. The growth
rate varies by region. Developing countries in Asia and Oceania are performing relatively well, with
significant trade surpluses and the shortest average shipping time. Estimates of ordinary parcel domestic
and international traffic offer important insights into recent trends in e-commerce. From 2013 to 2014,
international service grew more (+ 5.7%) than domestic service (+ 3.1%), although the latter accounted for
almost 99% of total traffic. The largest growth in international parcel post traffic was observed in Latin
America and the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and Commonwealth of Independent States and industrialized
countries. However, the large amount of missing data in some regions makes these results less reliable, and
124
the volumes might well be underestimated.
As an initial experiment in the area of trade in services, the United States International Trade Commission
(USITC) and the United States Census Bureau measured cross-border e-commerce in services. Their
estimates are based on balance-of-payment statistics for “digitally deliverable” services. Digital trade in
services accounted for 60% of United States services exports and 17% of the country’s total exports in 2011.
120
World Customs Organization (2015). WCO 2014-2015 Annual Report.
121
Summary report of Technical Expert Group meeting on measuring cross-border e-commerce (2016, February 3). WTO headquarters.
122
These data are for those services defined as postal services in the UPU Treaty.
123
Summary report of Technical Expert Group meeting on measuring cross-border e-commerce (2016, February 3). WTO headquarters.
124
UPU – Postal statistics online. Presentation on Development of postal services in 2014.
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The lack of information on cross-border e-commerce laws, regulations and methods is considered a major
barrier to e-transactions. In that regard, this publication discusses the role of international orgnizations in ecommerce and the importance of achieving harmonization of legal and regulatory frameworks.
UNCTAD mapped national e-commerce regulations and laws in four legal areas: e-transactions, consumer
125
Among the four areas,
protection, privacy and data protection, and cybercrime in 2014, by region.
adoption is generally the highest for e-transaction laws and the lowest for laws protecting consumers online.
The mapping shows that out of 194 countries, 47% have consumer protection legislation and 75% have etransaction laws. This result mirrors the shares in developing countries, whereas the four types of laws are
available in almost all developed economies. The most striking difference in the shares comes from transition
economies, where at least 12 out of 17 countries have laws in all legal areas but consumer protection, and
only 11.8% have consumer protection laws.
At the regional level, consumer protection laws and privacy and data protection laws are again less common
in developing countries. In particular, eastern African economies are lacking in consumer protection laws
(17%), as are countries in southern Asia (22%), the Caribbean (16%) and Oceania (8%). Privacy and data
protection laws are lacking in Southern Africa (20%), as they are in eastern (25%) and western Asia (25%),
Oceania (0%) and Central America (37.5%). Finally, in Central Africa and Oceania, there are relatively few
laws pertaining to e-commerce. No more than 2 out of 9 Central African countries, and 5 out of 12 Oceania
countries, have laws in all four legal areas.
3.
The largest e-commerce economies
Several platforms have attempted to measure e-commerce by country, using different approaches that range
from indicators combining connectivity, consumer behaviour and market value to simple indicators of market
size. This section focuses on sales of e-commerce to estimate market size, as shown in the following list. For
the purposes of this publication the level of connectivity is not considered an indicator of market size, but
rather a tool for unlocking potential market size.
Table 8.
Countries with the largest retail e-commerce sales worldwide in 2015
Country
Retail e-commerce sales in 2015 (in US$ billion)
China
672.01
United States
340.61
United Kingdom
99.39
Japan
89.55
Germany
61.84
France
42.6
Republic of Korea
38.86
Canada
26.83
Brazil
19.49
Australia
19.02
Source: Worldwide; eMarketer; 2014 to 2015.
This is particularly relevant for India, which did not make it onto this list. As reported by the International
Business Times, India’s low e-commerce volume is due primarily to its low and slow Internet connectivity
outside the main cities, and to the low credit card penetration rate. However, having a third of the world’s
Internet users, the Indian e-commerce market is expected to expand dramatically until 2020.
125
64
UNCTAD (2015). Information Economy Report 2015: Unlocking the potential of e-commerce for developing countries.
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Country profiles on e-commerce are provided below for the BRICS (Brazil, Russian Federation, India, China
and South Africa) and five major emerging markets. The United Arab Emirates is also covered so as to
provide some perspective on the Middle East. The country has one of the best-developed infrastructures for
e-commerce in the region, and is home to some of its largest e-commerce platforms (e.g. Souq.com,
cobone.com and Sukar). Most importantly, it is also one of the largest e-commerce markets in the Middle
126
East, with online spending as high as US$ 2.9 billion in 2012 and an e-commerce market valued at US2.5
127
billion in 2014.
Turkey and Indonesia have been added to the profiles as they are among the fastest-growing economies in
128
their respective regions, boasting considerable recent increases in ICT infrastructure and income levels.
This explains the rapid penetration of e-commerce in these countries and reflects their tremendous potential
for further e-commerce growth. Indonesia has the highest growth in B2C e-commerce globally; the figure
129
doubled in 2013 and increased by half in 2014. Turkey’s e-commerce volume reached EUR 6.34 billion in
130
2016 and is expected to continue to grow rapidly.
126
Jones, R. (2013). PayPal: Key Takeaways on E-Commerce in the Middle East. Wall Street Journal Blogs.
127
Paye, T. (2014). UAE e-commerce market 'booming'.
128
Center for Banking and Financial Services (2015) What is driving the growth in e-commerce and m-commerce in Indonesia?
129
Ecommerce Europe (2014) Global B2C E-commerce Report 2014.
130
Ecommerce News (2015). Ecommerce in Turkey reaches €6.34 billion.
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Brazil
1.
Statistics on cross-border e-commerce
Number of Internet users and percentage of population
In 2015, 55.7% of the Brazilian population was accessing the Internet. In 2019, it is projected that 61.1% of
131
Brazilians will have access.
Figure 9. Internet access in Brazil by share of population
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
49.3%
53.1%
55.7%
60.3% 61.1%
58.2% 59.5%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
2013
2014
2015
2016*
2017*
2018*
2109*
* projected
Percentage of online shoppers making cross-border purchases
According to an E-bit study from 2014, 4 out 10 online shoppers in Brazil have made cross-border
purchases. The main reasons given for choosing non-Brazilian vendors are lower prices, lack of availability
on national websites or the product not having been launched in the Brazilian market. The study cited a total
132
cross-border purchase volume in 2014 of US$ 2.4 billion.
Top import/export products and destinations
According to another E-bit study from the same year – Relatório Webshoppers – Aliexpress is the most used
website in Brazil for cross-border purchases, followed by eBay, Amazon and the like., Products like fashion
133
and accessories, electronics, informatics and books are the major categories in this market.
2.
Main features of the market
Major e-commerce platforms in Brazil and their features
According to a study conducted by emarketer in 2013, MercadoLivre (14.3%) is the biggest e-commerce
134
website in Brazil, followed by Americanas (8.1%) and Walmart Brazil (5.7%).
131
Statista (n.d.). Internet user penetration in Brazil from 2013 to 2019, eMarketer.
132
Payments Cards and Mobile (2015). E-commerce experiences growth in Brazil through cross border sales, Payments Industry
Intelligence.
133
The Paypers and CBEC (2013). Cross Border Ecommerce Report, “Critical Facts and Insights for International Expansion”, Country
Report – Brazil.
134
The Paypers and CBEC (2013). Cross Border Ecommerce Report, “Critical Facts and Insights for International Expansion”, Country
Report – Brazil.
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Growth projections
A study by E-marketer and Li & Fung Group finds that Brazil’s retail e-commerce growth has been declining
135
over the years. In 2016, however, it is projected to grow by 13.5%.
Figure 10. Retail e-commerce in Brazil (year-on-year growth rates)
30.0%
25.0%
24.0%
20.0%
17.3%
13.5%
15.0%
11.5%
10.0%
10.0%
9.3%
2018*
2019*
5.0%
0.0%
2014
2015
2016*
2017*
* projected
3.
Regulatory environment
Decree No. 7962 was passed in 2013, regulating the purchase of goods and services through electronic
means. The decree was approved as an amendment to the Consumer protection code (No. 8.078/90),
136
specifically in the area of e-commerce. It applies only to B2C and not to B2B e-commerce, i.e. it applies
only when the final consumer is the receiver of goods and services. The decree obliges e-commerce
providers to give consumers a summary of the contract prior to concluding the sale; to confirm receipt of
acceptance of the offer; to provide effective customer care within five days; and to ensure that the right of
137
regret is given to consumers. In 2014, another important piece of legislation passed: the Internet Civil
138
Landmark (Act No. 12.965/2014) also known as Marco Civil da Internet. This law establishes the rights of
139
Internet users and the obligations of Internet providers, and is also known as the Brazilian legal framework
for the Internet.
135
Statista (n.d.). Annual retail e-commerce sales growth in Brazil from 2014 to 2019.
136
Xavier, F. F. (2013). Decree establishes new rules for e-commerce in Brazil.
137
Xavier, F. F. (2013). Decree establishes new rules for e-commerce in Brazil.
138
Article 19 (2015, November 5). Country Report: Brazil's Marco Civil da Internet.
139
FGV Direito Rio (2014). The Brazilian Civil Rights Framework for the Internet.
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China
1.
Statistics on cross-border e-commerce
Number of Internet users and percentage of population
According to data compiled by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, there were 648.75 million Internet
140
users in the country at the end of 2014, or about 48% of the total population.
The number of Internet users increased from 22.5 million in 2000 to 721 million in 2016 (estimated).
2014, China reported e-commerce sales of US$ 449.1 billion and an e-commerce penetration of 25.9%.
Table 9.
141
In
Internet usage in China
National Bureau of Statistics of China, China Statistical Yearbook 2015
Individuals using the Internet (%) (at the end of 2014)
47.67
Broadband subscribers of Internet (millions of subscribers)
200.48
International Telecommunication Union (ITU 142) Countr y Profile: China
Households with Internet access at home (%)
43.9
Mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, 2015
92.3
Mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
21.4
Source: Nation al Bure au of Statistics of China, China St atistical Yearbook 20 15 an d Internatio nal
Telecomm unication Unio n (I TU);
Percentage of online shoppers making cross-border purchases
The number of online shoppers who made cross-border purchases amounted to an estimated 259 billion
renminbi (RMB) (US$ 40 billion) in 2015, more than 6% of China’s total consumer e-commerce.
Current import/export value of cross-border e-commerce
According to the second annual PayPal and Ipsos Cross-Border Consumer Research report of 2015, China
experienced a 9% increase in cross-border e-commerce, from 26% in 2014 to 35% in 2015.
Forecasts of import/export value of cross-border e-commerce
143
According to an online news article, the Ministry of Commerce of China predicted that the total value of
cross-border e-commerce in the country would exceed RMB 6.5 trillion in 2016, accounting for approximately
144
20% of the total trade volume. According to a report published by Aliresearch, the research arm of the
140
The population in China at the end of 2014 was 1.36 billion. Source: National Bureau of Statistics, China Statistical Yearbook 2015.
141
Internet live stats (2016). China Internet Users.
142
ITU, the United Nations specialized agency for ICTs, is recognized around the globe as the leading provider of timely and
comprehensive telecommunication/ICT statistics and trends.
143
Tsang, A. (2016). Chinese Mainland Cross-border E-commerce: Export Business Development, Hong Kong Trade Development
Council Research...
144
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Shira, D. et al. (2016). Exporting to China: Import Tax Slashed in Cross-Border E-Commerce Zones.
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Alibaba group, and the global consulting giant Bain & Company, the total value of cross-border e-commerce
145
in China is expected to reach RMB 1 trillion by 2020.
Top import/export products and destinations
According to PayPal Cross-Border Consumer Research 2015, the United States ranks first as a cross-border
146
destination, followed by China, with 19% of online shoppers purchasing from Chinese websites.
147
states that the two largest segments in
A report published by the United States Department of Commerce
cross-border sales for China are baby and beauty products. The top destinations for Chinese buyers of baby
148
products are Australia and New Zealand and, for apparel and electronics, the United States.
Figure 11. Top online shopping destinations
Source: Paypal Inc. 2015
2.
Main features of the market
The Chinese e-commerce market that started on the C2C platform has become more structured and has
given way to a B2C platform that accounts for 50% of all online sales.
Major e-commerce platforms and their features
China’s top five B2C e-commerce giants are as follows:
149
1.
Tmall (ኳ⊧), the B2C arm of the Alibaba group, which controls 60% of the country’s B2C market
2.
JD.com, the second largest e-commerce company in China, which controls 19% of the B2C market
145
Bain & Company (2016). China's E-commerce: The New Branding. Bain & Company.
146
PayPal (2015). PayPal Cross-Border Consumer Research Report.
147
Cross-border eCommerce China (2015). U.S. Department of Commerce GlobalMarkets.
148
Bain & Company (2016). China's E-commerce: The New Branding. Bain & Company.
149
Wan A. (2015, 11 May). Top 5 business-to-consumer e-commerce platforms in China. South China Morning Post.
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3.
Suning Commerce Group Ltd, which controls 3% of the B2C market
4.
Vipshop, a Guangzhou-based flash sale platform, which controls 3% of the B2C market
5.
Gome, the e-commerce arm of the retail chain Gome Electrical Appliances, which controls 2% of the
market.
Growth projections
With increasing technological advancements, the e-commerce industry in China is expected to increase,
particularly in mobile commerce (m-commerce). In 2015, Chinese consumers made 55% of their online
purchases through mobile phones, a figure that is projected to increase to 70% by 2020.
The online penetration rate is also expected to double to 22%, accounting for RMB 10 trillion by 2020. The
150
total value of cross-border e-commerce in China is slated to reach RMB 1 trillion by 2020.
3.
Regulatory environment
Laws and regulations governing cross-border e-commerce
In March 2015, China finished drafting the country’s first e-commerce law. The new legislation should help
151
deal with problems relating to data protection and infringements of customers' interests.
In 2016, China raised the tax on goods bought from cross-border e-commerce platforms. The new tax will
152
combine an import value-added tax with a consumption tax.
Agencies in charge and their responsibilities
The Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology regulate and govern the
153
e-commerce industry. The Ministry of Commerce formulates policy on foreign trade, export and import
regulations, foreign direct investment, consumer protection and market competition, and negotiates bilateral
154
and multilateral trade agreements. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is responsible for
155
China’s industrial planning, policies and standards.
Policy initiatives
In 2015, the State Council set up cross-border e-commerce zones in 12 Chinese cities. A “parcel tax” –which
156
is less than the usual customs duty – is levied on the goods sold through online trading platforms in these
zones
Challenges to cross-border e-commerce
Two current regulatory policies pose major challenges for cross border e-commerce:
Taxation: The Circular on Tax Policy for Cross-Border E-commerce Retail Imports became effective on 8
April 2016. It has changed the preferential tax policies adopted earlier by the Chinese Government on cross-
150
Bain & Company (2016). China's E-commerce: The New Branding. Bain & Company.
151
China Daily (2016, 10 March). China completes drafting e-commerce law.
152
CCTV.com (2016, 29 March). China hikes tax on cross-border e-commerce purchases.
153
China Briefing (2013, August 9). China’s E-Commerce Legislative and Regulatory Framework.
154
Ministry of Commerce People’s Republic of China (2010, December 7).
155
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (2014, August 20).
156
Shira, D. et al. (2016). Exporting to China: Import Tax Slashed in Cross-Border E-Commerce Zones.
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border e-commerce transactions. The tax rates have been increased and an RMB-20,000 limit has been
157
imposed on cross-border purchases made by individual consumers.
Positive list: Also in April 2016, the Government published two positive lists of goods for cross-border ecommerce. This means that goods and commodities not on the list may not be imported via cross-border e158
commerce.
157
Shira, D. et al. (2016). China Plugs Cross Border e-Commerce Import Tax Loophole.
158
Chemical Inspection and Regulation Service (2016). The positive list on cross-border e-commerce of imported commodities at retail
has been released.
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India
1.
Statistics on cross-border e-commerce
Number of Internet users and percentage of population
There were about 375 million Internet users in India in October 2015,
159
or about 28%
160
of the population.
161
Table 10. Internet usage in India
ITU
162
countr y profile: India
Households with Internet access at home (%)
13
Mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
70.8
Mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
3.2
Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Country Profile: India; latest data available: 2013
Percentage of online shoppers making cross-border purchases
According to PayPal Cross-Border Consumer Research, in 2015, 3.8 million shoppers made cross-border
163
purchases amounting to INR 547 billion.
Top import/export products and destinations
According to PayPal Cross-Border Consumer Research 2015, the largest segments of the country’s crossborder sales are clothing/apparel, footwear and accessories. India ranks sixth in the list of online buyers of
164
British goods, with an estimated 4.9 million Indians buying from the United Kingdom.
According to a report in the Financial Express, an online news source, the United States, United Kingdom,
Russian Federation and Israel are the major export destinations for Indian merchants selling online, while
165
China, Germany, Malaysia and Singapore are the preferred import hubs.
2.
Main features of the market
The Indian e-commerce industry, though still in its infancy, has grown from US$ 3.8 billion in 2009 to US$
166
12.6 billion in 2013.
Major e-commerce platforms and their features
According to a report by Acapture, the major e-commerce giants in India with their respective market shares
167
are as follows:
159
Verma, S. (2015, December 2). India on course to overtake US next month in Internet user base.
160
Internet Live Stats (2016). India Internet Users.
161
D’Monte, D. (2015). Why India's population will outstrip China's in just seven years.
162
ITU, the United Nations specialized agency for ICTs, is recognized around the globe as the leading provider of timely and
comprehensive telecommunication/ICT statistics and trends.
163
Bansal, S. (10 March 2016). Cross-border online shopping gains traction.
164
PayPal (2015). PayPal Cross-Border Consumer Research Report.
165
Chakraborty, S. (2014). Cross-border e-commerce taking giant strides now. Financial Express.
166
Ibid.
167
Acapture (2014). Cross-Border Ecommerce Infographic India 2014.
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Figure 12. Major e-commerce sites
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
% Value share
5.00%
0.00%
Growth projections
The e-commerce sector’s value in 2014 was US$ 234 billion. B2C cross-border e-commerce is expected to
expand to US$ 1 trillion by 2020, with a compound annual growth of 27.4% from 2014 to 2020. The number
168
of consumers is estimated to increase to 900 million by 2020.
3.
Regulatory environment
Laws and regulations governing cross-border e-commerce
In 2016, the Government allowed 100% of Foreign Direct Investment in online retail of goods and services
under the so-called “marketplace model” in order to legitimize existing e-commerce businesses operating in
169
India. However, no FDI is permitted in B2C e-commerce.
Agencies in charge and their responsibilities
The e-commerce industry in India is regulated by nine government agencies and regulatory bodies, including
the Reserve Bank of India, the Home Ministry, the Department of Revenue in the Finance Ministry, and the
170
Ministry of Corporate Affairs, as e-commerce activities are too complex and diverse to be kept under the
171
jurisdiction of a single department or ministry.
168
Kaushik, P. (2016). Sky is hardly the limit for cross-border ecommerce,
169
Mishra, A. R. & Dalal, M. (2016). Govt defines e-commerce marketplace rules, allows 100% FDI.
170
Mankotia, A. S. (2015). E-commerce to be policed by up to nine government agencies including RBI,
171
Arun, S. (2015). Govt mulling regulatory regime for e-commerce.
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4.
Challenges to cross-border e-commerce
Intellectual property rights: IPR protection remains a big issue for e-commerce in India. Trademark and
copyright violations in connection with local or illicitly imported products put immense pressure on cross172
border e-commerce.
Taxation: A complex array of federal and state indirect taxes is continuously evolving and very hard to
follow. There is also some policy paralysis in terms of reforming the taxation system, the uniform GST has
173
been in the pipeline for a number of years now.
Logistics: Even though international logistics players like DHL and FedEx operate in India, shipments
bound for destinations outside the major cities require local carriers to be used, but they are not as reliable.
This has forced companies like Amazon India, Flipkart and Snapdeal to create their own logistics branches –
174
an option not available to cross-border e-commerce websites.
Payments: India is a cash-based society with a lack of consumer trust in credit cards and online merchants.
Most Indian e-commerce companies have the option of cash-on-delivery, which is quite costly for them and
which is not possible for cross-border products. Indian payment systems are not reliable and often require a
175
couple of attempts before payment can actually be made .
172
Singh, M. and Bansal, S. (2016) India: the complexities of e-commerce.
173
Pachisia, V. (n.d.). GST could be key to unlock issues faced by e-commerce sector.
174
KPMG (2015) India’s e-commerce retail logistics growth story
175
Hartley, M. and Walker, C. (2013). The Growing Pains of Indian E-Commerce: What You Need to Know.
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Indonesia
1.
Statistics on cross-border e-commerce
Number of Internet users and percentage of population
Indonesia has 73 million Internet users, about 29% of
177
It had 5 million online shoppers in 2015, about 12% of the population.
the
population
in
176
2015.
Percentage of online shoppers making cross-border purchases
Indonesia reported a low one-digit percentage of cross-border online shopper penetration as of early
178
2015.
Top import/ export products and destinations
Top online import sources are China (16%) and Singapore (14%). Top online export destinations are Japan
179
(15%) and China (13%).
2.
Main features of the market
Major e-commerce platforms and their features
Indonesia’s leading e-commerce sites are Bhinneke and App store, with approximate market shares of 4%
180
and 2.7%, respectively.
Growth projections
According to a UBS report , the Indonesian online market is expected to grow to US$ 1.6 billion by 2018.
182
The number of Internet users will reportedly increase to 91 million by 2020.
3.
181
Overview of regulatory environment
Laws and regulations governing e-commerce
The Electronic Information and Transactions Act 2008 and supplementary regulations currently govern the ecommerce landscape in Indonesia. In order to improve e-commerce regulation and cybersecurity, the
183
Government introduced the Electronic System Provider and Electronic Transaction Regulation in 2012.
Agencies in charge
A number of bodies regulate Indonesia’s e-commerce industry, including the Trade Ministry, Informatics and
184
Communication Ministry and Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry.
176
The Jakarta Post (2015, March 10). Internet users in Indonesia reach 73 million.
177
A.T. Kearney, Inc & CIMB ASEAN Research Institute (2015). Lifting the barriers to e-commerce in ASEAN.
178
PR Newswire (2015, December 29) Asia-Pacific Cross-Border B2C E-Commerce 2015.
179
Payvision (n.d.). Factsheet Indonesia E-commerce-General Facts and Figures.
180
Ibid.
181
UBS (2014, June 13). ASEAN eCommerce, Is ASEAN at an inflection point for eCommerce?
182
Econsultancy.com Ltd (2014, May). State of E-commerce in South-East Asia: in association with SAP and hybris software.
183
UNCTAD (2015). Information Economy Report 2015: Unlocking the potential of e-commerce for developing countries.
184
Redwing (n.d.). E-business regulation in Indonesia.
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Policy Initiatives
Indonesia has made efforts to improve the broadband infrastructure and increase online connectivity, which
is relatively low compared to the rest of the world. This has involved investing in connecting the eastern
islands to the rest of the country’s Internet network; plans are under way to develop a nationwide fibre-optic
185
network.
4.
Challenges to cross-border e-commerce
The major challenges faced by e-commerce in Indonesia are limited use of banking services, with
approximately 80% of the population unbanked; low credit card penetration, which stands at a meagre 3.5%;
186
and major infrastructure deficits, such as limited network coverage. The latter means that there is still no
high-speed Internet, as connecting more than 18,000 islands is a major logistical hurdle.
187
Another challenge is online security. Most customers in Indonesia are reluctant to pay online due to fears
188
of fraud and high rates of cybercrime.
185
A.T. Kearney, Inc & CIMB ASEAN Research Institute (2015). Lifting the barriers to e-commerce in ASEAN.
186
Oxford Business Group (n.d.). Indonesia's e-commerce sales rising.
187
UNCTAD (2015). Information Economy Report 2015: Unlocking the potential of e-commerce for developing countries.
188
A.T. Kearney, Inc & CIMB ASEAN Research Institute (2015). Lifting the barriers to e-commerce in ASEAN.
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Russian Federation
1.
Statistics on cross-border e-commerce
Number of Internet users and percentage of population
In 2015, 85 million people used the Internet, or 70.4% of the Russian population over16 years of age.
189
Percentage of online shoppers making cross-border purchases
36% of Russian online shoppers have made cross-border e-commerce purchases.
190
Current Import/ export value of cross-border e-commerce
Cross-border sales in the Russian Federation have skyrocketed, from 40 million packages worth $1.3 billion
191
in 2013 to 135 million packages and small parcels worth US$3.4 billion in 2015.
Top import/ export products and destinations
In 2014, clothing, apparel, footwear and accessories were the leading cross-border purchases made by
192
digital buyers in the Russian Federation, followed by consumer electronics and toys.
2.
Main features of the market
Major e-commerce platforms and their features
Chinese e-commerce platforms are ranked the highest in the Russian Federation’s cross-border ecommerce. They represent 80% of total fulfilled cross-border orders from the Russian Federation. In 2015,
Aliexpress became the number-one e-commerce platform in the Russian Federation, with 180 million visits,
193
followed by Russian e-commerce sites (50 million visits)
Growth projections
The chart below shows the projected steady increase in retail e-commerce sales in the Russian Federation
over 2014–2019. These sales are projected to reach US$ 34.86 billion by 2019.
Sales in US$
billion
Figure 13. Retail e-commerce sales in the Russian Federation, 2014–2019
40
30
20
15.37
18.86
22.51
26.42
30.39
34.86
10
0
2014
2015
2016*
2017*
2018*
2019*
189
East-West Digital News (2016). With 84 million users, Russia’s Internet penetration rate has nearly doubled in five years.
190
Ecommerce worldwide (n.d.). E-retail in Russia.
191
Rogan, A. (2016). Russian cross-border e-commerce growing exponentially. Russia Supply Chain.
192
McDonald, M. (2015). Expectations for Cross Border Sales in Russia 2015.
193
East West Digital News (2015). Russian B2C e-commerce opportunities for Chinese players.
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BRINGING SMEs ONTO THE E-COMMERCE HIGHWAY
3.
Regulatory environment
E-commerce is regulated by the Russian Civil Code. Other relevant legislation includes the laws on
electronic digital signatures, trademarks, exchange controls, banks, telecommunications, mass media and
194
advertising.
In 2013, the Russian Federation enacted new legislation on electronic payments. Rules regarding e-wallets
and prepaid cards have undergone several changes, in parallel with the development of a national payment
195
platform.
A new law on privacy came into force in 2015, under which only those databases located in the Russian
Federation can be used to store Russian citizens’ personal data. Similarly, a new bill has been submitted to
the State Duma to apply VAT on e-commerce services. The aim of the law is to create a level playing field for
196
Russian and foreign companies, thereby making foreign service providers less appealing.
4.
Challenges to cross-border e–commerce
Current depreciation of the rouble, weak domestic demand, shrinking consumer income and exchange rate
dynamics have made cross-border goods expensive, except those of Chinese origin. A poor postal system
197
and the existence of vast geographical regions also lead to delays in the delivery of online purchases.
Furthermore, the legal framework is highly complex and is constantly evolving, and regional differences are
rife. This makes it very difficult for SMEs to participate in cross-border e-commerce transactions in the
Russian Federation.
Regarding payment systems, the lack of trust in credit cards and the emphasis on cash-on-delivery represent
198
major barriers to cross-border online business, especially for SMEs. They are severely affected by the
absence of a robust e-payment system, because cross-border e-commerce represents a far greater risk for
them than for big corporations. If things go wrong, it is far more difficult to cover them up or to write off
199
business.
194
Russian American Chamber of Commerce in the USA (n.d.). E-commerce in Russia.
195
Orlova, E. (2015). How new legislation is changing ecommerce and e-payments in Russia. The Paypers.
196
taxamo (2015). Russia digital VAT: new law set for 2017 introduction.
197
Northern Dimension (n.d.). E-Commerce in Russia: Rapid Growth (Temporarily?) Challenged.
198
Daviy, A. O. and Rebiazina, V.A. (2015). Investigating Barriers and Drivers of the E-Commerce Market in Russia – Basic Research
Program.
199
78
Khokhlov, O. and Kommersant-Déngi (2012). eBay faces new challenges in Russian market.
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South Africa
1.
Statistics on cross-border e-commerce
Number of Internet users and percentage of population
200
According to the World Bank World
There were 15 million Internet users in South Africa in 2014.
201
Development Indicators, 49% of the population is on the Internet. The number of Internet users in South
202
Africa is expected to reach 27 million by 2019, up from 15 million in 2014.
According to a survey by PayU, an online payment gateway, 58% of Internet users shop on the Internet in
203
South Africa.
Percentage of online shoppers making cross-border purchases
According to research conducted by PayPal in 2015, 57% of South African Internet users shop online; of
these, 59% shop domestically, 37% shop both domestically and across borders, and 5% shop only across
204
borders.
Top import/export products and destinations for cross-border e-commerce
North America is the most popular region for online cross-border purchases, with 27% of South Africans
205
shopping on North American websites, followed by Europe (20%) and Asia (19%). On the other hand, the
major cross-border export destinations for South Africa are China (8.3%), United States (8.1%) and India
206
(7.8%). South Africans are interested in making cross-border purchases of digital devices, downloadable
entertainment, video games, software and educational items, which together comprised 44% of all cross207
border purchases in 2015.
2.
Main features of the market
Major e-commerce platforms and their features
The top e-commerce site in South Africa is Gumtree.co.za, with a market share of approximately 23%,
208
followed by Olx.co.za, with a market share of approximately 11%.
The market's largest segment is consumer electronics and physical media, with a market volume of US$
209
1,159,500 in 2016. Gumtree.co.za is the most visited domestic e-commerce website in the country.
200
] IT News Africa (2015, July 1). South Africa: Internet users to reach 27 mln by 2019.
201
World Bank (2014). Internet users (per 100 people). Available from data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.NET.USER.P2.
202
IT News Africa (2015, July 1). South Africa: Internet users to reach 27 mln by 2019.
203
PayU (n.d) Trust is the abstract imperative in online shopping, says CEO.
204
Knoesen, M. (2016, February 29). Online shopping to grow 70% in 2016.
205
Bremmen, N. (2016, February 17). Is mobile driving a South African ecommerce explosion?
206
Payvision (n.d.). Factsheet South Africa E-commerce-General Facts and Figures.
207
Burridge, M. (2016, February 17). PayPal sees 'room to grow' in R37bn SA market.
208
Payvision (n.d.). Factsheet South Africa E-commerce-General Facts and Figures.
209
Payvision (n.d.). Factsheet South Africa E-commerce-General Facts and Figures.
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Figure 14. Number of visitors by platform in South Africa
Source: ySats – South Africa B2C E-Commerce Market, 2015.
Growth projections
210
There will be an estimated US$ 3,188,000 in revenue from e-commerce in South Africa in 2016. The
compound annual growth rate of e-commerce revenue over 2016–2020 is expected to be 15.98%, yielding
211
revenue of US$ 5,769,000 in 2020.
3.
Overview of regulatory environment
Laws and regulations governing e-commerce
South African e-commerce policy was first formulated in 1999, in a discussion paper, followed by a green
paper on electronic commerce in 2000. In 2002, the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 2002
was promulgated to regulate e-commerce. Thereafter, the National Information Society and Development
Plan, 2007, the National Integrated ICT Policy, the National Cyber Security Policy Framework and other
212
policies were brought in place for further regulation of e-commerce.
The Government also passed the Consumer Protection Act in 2008 to establish national norms and
standards on consumer protection and to promote a consistent legislative enforcement framework for
213
consumer transactions and agreements. .
With regard to taxation, in order to capture revenue from e-commerce transactions, the Government has
applied a 14% value added tax South African suppliers of e-commerce goods and services must accordingly
214
register as VAT vendors, submit returns and pay taxes.
Agencies in charge and their responsibilities
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa is responsible for regulating the e-commerce
215
sector in South Africa under the Electronic Transactions Act.
210
Ibid
211
Ibid
212
University of Cape Town (n.d.), South Africa's E-Commerce Policy.
213
ACTS online (n.d.). Consumer Protection Act, 2008 (Act No. 68 of 2008).
214
Palmer, G. (2014, April 30). South African Institute of Tax Professional.
215
BusinessTech (2014, April 10). E-commerce to be regulated by Icasa.
80
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Policy initiatives
South Africa was among the first African countries to have initiated fixed-broadband development
programmes to support e-commerce initiatives. The Government announced its broadband policy, South
Africa Connect, in 2013. The policy called for an average user speed of 5 Mbps to be available to half the
216
population by 2016 and a universal average download speed of 100 Mbps by 2030.
4.
Challenges to cross-border e-commerce
Payment systems: Recently, South African consumers have faced payment problems. In February 2016, ecommerce websites announced that Nedbank and First National Bank (FNB) customers were experiencing
217
problems in making payments with credit card and debit cards. South Africa is also prone to online scams,
so e-commerce companies and the Government must work hard to ensure that online payment gateways
are secure.
Logistics: Last-mile connectivity and logistics is an important area requiring further work in South Africa, as
delivery is still inefficient and costly. Successful e-commerce players offer fast and reliable logistics, but that
is expensive for both consumers and players.
Taxation: With effect from 2014, it is compulsory for all foreign suppliers of e-commerce services in South
Africa to be registered and pay tax on all services purchased by South African residents. This applies to both
B2B and B2C services. Forcing a foreign supplier to be registered could, however, be detrimental to cross218
border e-commerce.
216
Department of Communications (2013, December 6). Electronic Communications Act, 2005 (ACT NO. 36 OF 2005).
217
My Broadband (2016, February 4). South African online shopping payment problems.
218
Ebiz.tax (n.d.). South Africa: VAT registration of foreign e-commerce service suppliers as of 1 January 2014.
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Turkey
1.
Statistics on cross-border e-commerce
Number of Internet users and percentage of population
According to the World Bank, 51% of Turkey’s population was online in 2014.
219
Percentage of online shoppers making cross-border purchases
According to the Paypers, 20% of Turkish e-commerce buyers have considered cross-border shopping.
220
Current import/export value of cross-border e-commerce
In 2013, cross-border e-commerce transactions in Turkey surpassed EUR 1 billion and since then they have
221
been growing by a third every year.
Top import/export products and destinations
According to the Paypers report, Turkish buyers have been purchasing across borders from China, Hong
222
Kong SAR, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom.
2.
Main features of the market
Major e-commerce platforms and their features
According to a survey by the Turkish Statistical Institute, websites such as Gitti Gidiyar, Hapsiburada,
223
Araba.com and Trendyol are leaders in domestic e-commerce.
Growth projections
224
E-commerce revenue is expected to show a compound annual growth rate of 13.60% over 2016–2020.
225
This growth will materialize from an estimated 14.84% increase in Internet user penetration by 2020.
Figure 15 depicts the projected growth of e-commerce in Turkey in several sectors, including clothes,
consumer electronics, food, and home furnishings.
219
The World Bank (n.d.). The World Bank Data - Internet users (per 100 people).
220
The Paypers (2014). Cross-Border E commerce Report- Critical facts and insights for international expansion- Turkey, pp. 18, para 9.
221
Ibid.
222
Ibid.
223
Ibid.
224
Statista (n.d.). Revenue in the "eCommerce" market.
225
Ibid..
82
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Figure 15.
Projected growth of e-commerce in Turkey by sector
Source: Statista
3.
Overview of regulatory environment
Laws and regulations related to cross-border e-commerce
226
In 2014, Act No. 6502 which covers consumer protection issues came into force. The act also covers
consumer protection issues arising from e-commerce transactions. The scope includes distance contracts,
right of withdrawal, defective goods, user manuals, warranty certificates, voluntary warranty certificates and
227
aftersales services.
In 2015, Turkey enacted Act No. 6563 on the regulation of electronic commerce, which is aimed at making ecommerce more secure, transparent and accessible. It covers electronic communications, liabilities of
228
service providers, contracts concluded electronically and other areas. It stipulates that the service provider
should inform the buyer about introductory information, technical steps in making a contract and information
about access to the contract after its conclusion.
4.
Challenges to cross-border e-commerce
Security and privacy: Turkey being a very technologically literate country, one of the main concerns of its
consumers is the absence of a sound policy on data security and privacy. This is a major barrier to crossborder e-commerce, as it means that consumers lack the assurance that websites are secure, and that
229
hackers can obtain their credit card details and/or other personal information.
Connectivity: Turkey suffers from a connectivity divide. Broadband connectivity in major cities like Ankara
and Istanbul is comparable to European cities, but in rural areas only 26% of the population has Internet
230
access.
ICT and legal framework: Turkey is a G20 member, and ranks 14th in the regulatory and framework
category of the G20 E-Trade Readiness Index, which is quite low in comparison to most of its neighbours,
231
especially European Union member countries.
226
Ministry of Customs and Trade (n.d.). Consumer Protection in Turkey.
227
The Paypers (2014). Cross-Border E commerce Report- Critical facts and insights for international expansion- Turkey.
228
O’Donoghue C. and Brimsted K. (2015). Turkish Parliament Approves E-Commerce Law.
229
Demirdog, M. (2015). Development and Impact of E-Commerce in Turkey, HC79, UDC: 339.1.
230
In Lee (2016, March 31). Encyclopedia of E-Commerce Development, Implementation and Management.
231
The Economist – Intelligence Unit (2014). The G20 e-trade readiness index: an economist intelligence unit report.
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United Arab Emirates
1.
Statistics on cross-border e-commerce
Number of Internet users and percentage of population
In 2014, there were 8,807,226 Internet users in the United Arab Emirates, or approx, 93.2% of the
232
population.
Percentage of online shoppers making cross-border purchases
In 2015, 60 % of online shoppers in United Arab Emirates made cross border purchases.
233
Top import/export products and destinations
The top online import sources for cross border e-commerce in the United Arab Emirates include the United
States (30%), the United Kingdom (18%) and India (18%). The preferred cross-border e-commerce product
234
category is travel and transportation products, followed by clothing/apparel, footwear and accessories.
2.
Main features of the market
Major e-commerce platforms and their features
The top online e-commerce retailers in the United Arab Emirates are Souq.com, with a market share of
235
41.2%, and Amazon, with a market share of 12.3%.
Growth projections
236
The total value of the e-commerce sector in the United Arab Emirates in 2014 was US$ 2.3 billion.
237
According to PayPal, that value was expected to reach US$ 5.10 billion by 2015 and according to the
238
research firm, Frost and Sullivan, it is expected to reach US$ 10 billion by 2018.
3.
Overview of regulatory environment
Laws and regulations governing cross-border e-commerce
The United Arab Emirates has legislation governing electronic transactions and cybercrime but no legislation
239
on privacy and data protection. In 2006, the Government passed Federal Act No. (1) of 2006 on Electronic
Commerce and Transactions to promote adherence to regulatory laws that enable secure e-commerce
240
transactions.
232
Internet World Stats (n.d.). United Arab Emirates Internet usage, broadband and telecommunications reports.
233
The Paypers (2015). Cross-border E-commerce report UAE.
234
Ibid.
235
Ibid.
236
Payfort (2015). State of Payments 2015.
237
PayPal (2013). PayPal Insights e-commerce in the Middle East 2012-2015.
238
Kippreport (2013, October 20). UAE leads GCC in e-commerce growth.
239
UNCTAD (2015). Information Economy Report 2015: Unlocking the potential of e-commerce for developing countries.
240
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) - E-commerce - FAQ
84
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Agencies in charge and their responsibilities
The main objective of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority is to license, monitor, approve and
241
oversee the activities of certification service providers.
Regulatory approaches
Websites and social media accounts wishing to conduct electronic activities must obtain a no-objection
certificate from the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. The average time for processing the
application is two working days.
4.
Challenges to cross-border e-commerce
According to a report by Payfort, an online payment gateway, the biggest challenge faced by e-commerce
242
companies is maintaining the same level of service at their offline and online stores.
Another challenge concerns online payment, and the need to increase the end users’ trust in the checkout
process. Many firms are struggling with the challenge of cash-on-delivery, which can be crippling for small e243
commerce companies due to the high costs involved.
241
Ibid.
242
Payfort (2015). State of Payments 2015.
243
Ibid.
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Appendix II: Taxes and duties for cross-border e-commerce
Standard VAT or sales tax rate
Source: GrzegorzusLudi (2015). Wikimedia. Retrieved 11 May 2016 from:
http://www.uscib.org/valueadded-taxes-vat-ud-1676/).
De minimis value and entry threshold
De minimis value "no duty/tax collection"
Country
Informal entry threshold
in national currency
in
US$
in
SDR
in national currency
in US$
in SDR
Andorra
EUR 12
16
10
EUR 12
16
10
Armenia
150,000 Armenian Drams
300
198
Australia
AUD 1,000
918
606
AUD 1,000
918
606
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
Non-commercial shipments not
exceeding US$ 1,000 and 50 kg
1000
660
Postal shipments not exceeding
US$ 200 and 20 kg
200
132
Bahrain
NA
NA
NA
US$ 10,596
10,596
6,993
Belarus
EUR 10
13
9
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
US$ 100 only for postal shipments
100
66
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 15 (VAT)
20
13
BND 400
312
206
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belgium
Bolivia
Bulgaria
Brunei
86
No information
No information
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Cambodia
US$ 50
50
33
Canada
CAD 20
19
13
Chile
US$ 30
30
20
China
Shipments with duty and VAT liability
less than RMB50
8
5
EUR (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
150 EUR (Customs duties)
198
131
17 EUR (VAT)
22
15
150 EUR (Customs duties)
198
131
22 EUR (VAT)
29
19
Dominican
Republic
US$ 200
200
132
Ecuador
US$ 400 & 400 kg
400
264
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 21.98 (VAT)
29
19
EUR 20
26
17
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
For non-commercial shipments only:
GEL 500 and 30 kg for foodstuffs
classified in headings 0401-0406,
1702-1704, 2101-2102, chapters 06,
07, 08, and 19 of the Harmonized
System.
302
199
For non-commercial shipments only:
GEL 1,000 and 50 kg for Commodities
classified in HS chapters 28-96.
603
398
For non-commercial shipments only:
GEL 3,000 for airfreight and 50 kg for
Commodities classified in HS
chapters 28-96.
1809
1194
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
No information
Guatemala
Not applicable
NA
NA
US$ 1,000
Honduras
US$ 500 with certain exceptions
500
330
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
1,000 Icelandic Krona
8
5
Croatia
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Ethiopia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
OCE-16-13.E
NA
No information
EUR 17
22
15
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
Internet shipments subject to VAT using "mail
order" exemption on de-minimis in EU law
GEL 700 for imports and GEL
3,000 for exports; excise
goods; goods classified in HS
chapters 27, 28, 29, 30, 36,
71, and in headings 8701,
8702, 8703, 8704, 8705,
8709, 8710, 8711, 8712,
8713, 8716, and in chapters
88, 89, 93, and 97
422
279
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
1,000
660
No information
87
BRINGING SMEs ONTO THE E-COMMERCE HIGHWAY
India
Samples and gifts not exceeding
INR 10,000
170
112
Indonesia
US$ 50
50
33
Iran
<US$ 50
50
33
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
US$ 100
100
66
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
No information
Japan
JPY 10,000
100
66
Jordan
20 Jordan dinars for commercial
samples
28
19
Korea
Personal consumption and samples
not exceeding US$ 100
100
66
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
US$ 150
150
99
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
MYR 500
157
103
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
Mexico
US$ 50
50
33
Morocco
300 Moroccan Dirham
35
23
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
New Zealand
NZD 400
322
212
Norway
NKR 200
34
22
Panama
US$ 200
200
132
Paraguay
US$ 100
100
66
Peru
US$ 200
200
132
Philippines
PHP 15
0,48
0
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
Qatar
US$ 822
822
543
Romania
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Latvia
Liberia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
88
INR 100,000
1,700
1,122
EUR 260
343
227
JPY 200,000
2,000
1,320
US$ 2,000
2,000
1,320
500 Dirham
59
39
Up to EUR 1,000
1,320
871
Not applicable
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EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
Russian
Federation
RUR 7,964
247
163
Rwanda
<US$ 400
400
264
Singapore
SGD 400
316
208
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
Switzerland
Total duties/taxes less than 5 CHF
are waived
Chinese
Taipei
SGD 400
316
208
Up to EUR 1,000
1,320
871
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
19
EUR 22 (VAT)
29
19
5
4
Not applicable
TWD 3,000
99
65
TWD 50,000
1,650
1,089
Thailand
1,000 Thai Baht
32
21
Less than 40,000 Thai Baht
FOB
1,280
845
Uganda
US$ 10
10
7
Ukraine
US$ 100
100
66
United
Kingdom
EUR 150 (Customs duties)
198
131
GBP 15 (VAT)
23
15
Uruguay
US$ 200
200
132
United States
US$ 200
200
132
Venezuela
US$ 100
100
66
Vietnam
VND 1,000,000
47
31
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Source: Global Express Association (2013, 4 August). Overview of de minimis value regimes open to express shipments
worldwide. Retrieved 11 May 2016 from: http://www.extremepsi.com/store/files/broker_fees.pdf
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